William Oswald Mills Sr. (August 12, 1924 – May 24, 1973), was a

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

U.S. congressman who represented the 1st Congressional district of

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...

from May 25, 1971 until his death in Easton, Maryland on May 24, 1973.

Life and career

Mills was born in Bethlehem, Maryland on August 12, 1924. He attended

Caroline County, Maryland Caroline County is a rural county located in the U.S. state of Maryland on its Eastern Shore. As of the 2020 census, the population was 33,293. Its county seat is Denton. Caroline County is bordered by Queen Anne's County to the north, Tal ...

public schools, after graduating from Federalsburg High School in 1941, he then pursued military service. He served in the

U.S. Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cl ...

in 1942, during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, as part of general George Patton's Third Army during the crossing of the

Rhine River ), Surselva, Graubünden, Switzerland , source1_coordinates= , source1_elevation = , source2 = Rein Posteriur/Hinterrhein , source2_location = Paradies Glacier, Graubünden, Switzerland , source2_coordinates= , source ...

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

and was awarded the

Bronze Star The Bronze Star Medal (BSM) is a United States Armed Forces decoration awarded to members of the United States Armed Forces for either heroic achievement, heroic service, meritorious achievement, or meritorious service in a combat zone. Wh ...

. After the war, he worked his way up in rank as the manager of the offices of: Easton, Maryland;

Preston, Maryland Preston is a town in Caroline County, Maryland, United States. The population was 719 at the 2010 census. History Preston is home to the Linchester Mill, c. 1682. During the Revolutionary War it supplied grain to George Washington's troops. ...

; and

Cambridge, Maryland Cambridge is a city in Dorchester County, Maryland, United States. The population was 13,096 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Dorchester County and the county's largest municipality. Cambridge is the fourth most populous city in Mary ...

of the Chesapeake & Potomac Telephone Company from 1946 to 1962. Beginning in 1962, he served on the staff of then-congressman

Rogers Morton Rogers Clark Ballard Morton (September 19, 1914 – April 19, 1979) was an American politician who served as the U.S. Secretary of the Interior and Secretary of Commerce during the administrations of presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford, ...

as a Democrat until finally becoming a Republican in 1970. When Morton was appointed

United States Secretary of the Interior The United States secretary of the interior is the head of the United States Department of the Interior. The secretary and the Department of the Interior are responsible for the management and conservation of most federal land along with natur ...

by U.S. President

Richard Nixon Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913April 22, 1994) was the 37th president of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as a representative and senator from California and was ...

in 1971, Mills won the special election to succeed him as U.S. House Representative of Maryland's 1st District of the

92nd United States Congress The 92nd United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, DC from January 3, 1971, ...

.Memorial Services, Held in the House of Representatives and Senate of the ...By United States. 93d Congress, 1st session, 1973, United States. Congress

Death

On the morning of May 24, 1973, Mills was found dead at a stable near his home in Easton, Maryland, at the age of 48. There was an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound to the left side of his chest, and a

12-gauge shotgun The gauge (or commonly bore in British English) of a firearm is a unit of measurement used to express the inner diameter (bore diameter) of the barrel. Gauge is determined from the weight of a solid sphere of lead that will fit the bore of the f ...

and spent casing were found by his side. It was reported that he had been depressed following the death of three of his Congressional aides in a 1972 car accident, and by the fact that his mentor and predecessor,

, was suffering from cancer. However, five days before his death, it was revealed that Mills had received an undisclosed $25,000 gift from the finance committee of President

's re-election campaign during the 1971 special election. Overall, it was part of $900,000 in unaccounted donations made by the committee, according to the

General Accounting Office The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) is a legislative branch government agency that provides auditing, evaluative, and investigative services for the United States Congress. It is the supreme audit institution of the federal gover ...

. If Mills were convicted of conducting illegal activity, he could have faced a $1,000 fine and one year in prison. While Mills initially stated that he had done nothing wrong, he began worrying that the campaign contribution would destroy his political career. In one of his

suicide note A suicide note or death note is a message left behind by a person who dies or intends to die by suicide. A study examining Japanese suicide notes estimated that 25–30% of suicides are accompanied by a note. However, incidence rates may depen ...

s, Mills stated that he could not prove his innocence and saw suicide as the only solution. Overall, Mills produced at least seven notes, including one to his son warning him to be honest and another to his constituents. Despite his concern, Maryland authorities claimed soon after his death that he may not have broken the new state

campaign finance Campaign finance, also known as election finance or political donations, refers to the funds raised to promote candidates, political parties, or policy initiatives and referendums. Political parties, charitable organizations, and political a ...

law, which did not come into full effect until July 1971, two months after his special election. In fact, there were no indications that state authorities were even going to pursue an investigation. He is buried at the Hillcrest Cemetery, in Federalsburg, Maryland.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mills, William Oswald 1924 births 1973 deaths 20th-century American politicians American politicians who committed suicide Maryland Democrats Military personnel from Maryland People from Caroline County, Maryland People from Easton, Maryland Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Maryland Suicides by firearm in Maryland United States Army personnel of World War II United States congressional aides

Life and career

Death

See also

References