Zebulon Weaver (May 12, 1872 – October 29, 1948) was an American lawyer and politician who served 14 terms as a Democratic U.S. Congressman from

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and ...

between 1917 and 1929 and again between 1931 and 1947.

Early years and education

Born in

Weaverville, North Carolina Weaverville is a town in Buncombe County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 3,120 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Asheville Metropolitan Statistical Area. History Chartered in 1875 and named for Michael Montraville Weaver ...

, Weaver attended public schools, Weaver College, and then the

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States ...

, where he studied law. He was admitted to the bar in 1894 and practiced law in Asheville, North Carolina.

Political career

Weaver was elected to the North Carolina House of Representatives in 1906 and 1908 before being elected to the

North Carolina Senate The North Carolina Senate is the upper chamber of the North Carolina General Assembly, which along with the North Carolina House of Representatives—the lower chamber—comprises the state legislature of North Carolina. The term of office for e ...

in 1912, serving a single term. He was elected to the

U.S. House The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

from

North Carolina's 10th congressional district The 10th congressional district of North Carolina is a congressional district in central and western North Carolina. It currently includes all of Cleveland, Gaston, Lincoln, Polk, and Rutherford counties, and part of Catawba, Iredell, and ...

in 1916 in an extremely close race that he initially won by only 8 votes. His election was contested by James J. Britt, who argued that 90 ballots in which voters submitted a party ballot, but did not mark the box on it, should not have been counted. The majority of the House committee that considered the case disagreed with Britt, but in an unusual turn when resolutions were brought to the floor of the House, the House adopted the resolution of the minority and decided that Weaver was not elected and to swear in Britt. The House was extremely close in the 65th Congress, with the Democratic-coalition holding only a 2 seat majority at the end, and many House members were absent, so the final resolution was carried by a scant 185-183 vote. The case took so long that Britt was only seated for the last four days (between March 1, 1919, and March 3, 1919) of the 65th United States Congress. Weaver was then elected to four more Congresses until he was defeated for re-election in 1928 by Republican George M. Pritchard. He recaptured his seat in 1930 and served eight more terms in Congress (March 4, 1931 – January 3, 1947) until losing a battle for the renomination in 1946. He returned to practicing law in

Asheville Asheville ( ) is a city in, and the county seat of, Buncombe County, North Carolina. Located at the confluence of the French Broad and Swannanoa rivers, it is the largest city in Western North Carolina, and the state's 11th-most populous ci ...

until his death in 1948. During his tenure in office, Weaver was responsible for the bill that resulted in the creation of the

Great Smoky Mountains National Park Great Smoky Mountains National Park is an American national park in the southeastern United States, with parts in North Carolina and Tennessee. The park straddles the ridgeline of the Great Smoky Mountains, part of the Blue Ridge Mountains, w ...

Gertrude Dills McKee Gertrude Dills McKee (June 8, 1885 – November 27, 1948) was an American civic leader and politician from North Carolina. She was the first woman elected to the North Carolina State Senate. Life and career McKee, known around Jackson County ...

, later to become the first female member of the North Carolina State Senate, supported his reelection efforts in 1928; it was her first experience in politics.

Personal life

Weaver had a son named Zebulon V. Weaver who, in 1929, was appointed as one of the original 27 Patrolmen of the

North Carolina Highway Patrol The North Carolina State Highway Patrol (NCSHP) is the highway patrol agency for North Carolina which has no per-se "state police" agency. The Patrol has jurisdiction anywhere in the state except for federal or military installations and on the ...

. He served until about 1931 when he resigned to further his education, and became a successful lawyer. Weaver was a member of the Knights of Pythias.

References

External links

NC Manual of 1913
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Weaver, Zebulon 1872 births 1948 deaths Democratic Party members of the North Carolina House of Representatives Democratic Party North Carolina state senators North Carolina lawyers People from Weaverville, North Carolina Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from North Carolina Members of the United States House of Representatives removed by contest