Elliott Woolfolk Major (October 20, 1864 – July 9, 1949) was an American lawyer and

Democratic Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

politician from

Pike County, Missouri Pike County is a county on the eastern border of the U.S. state of Missouri, bounded by the Mississippi River. As of the 2010 census, the population was 18,516. Its county seat is Bowling Green. Its namesake was a city in middle Kentucky, a r ...

, who served as the 25th

Attorney General of Missouri The Office of the Missouri Attorney General was created in 1806 when Missouri was part of the Louisiana Territory. Missouri's first Constitution in 1820 provided for an appointed attorney general, but since the 1865 Constitution, the Attorney Gene ...

and the 33rd

Governor of Missouri A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political r ...

Biography

Born in 1864 in

Lincoln County, Missouri Lincoln County is located in the eastern part of the U.S. state of Missouri. As of the 2020 census, the population was 59,574. Its county seat is Troy. The county was founded December 14, 1818, and named for Major General Benjamin Lincoln o ...

, Elliott Major attended Lincoln County public schools. He then went to Watson Seminary in Pike County. After studying law, he was admitted to the bar in 1885. Major's political rise began with a seat in the

Missouri Senate The Missouri Senate is the upper chamber of the Missouri General Assembly. It has 34 members, representing districts with an average population of 174,000. Its members serve four-year terms, with half the seats being up for election every two yea ...

, which he held between 1897 and 1901. Between 1909 and 1913 he was

. In November 1912 he was elected the new governor of his state. Major took up his new post on January 13, 1913. Several new agencies emerged in Missouri during his four-year tenure. These included the Highway Commission, a pardon committee, assistance to the blind, and a public services committee. In addition, the state

flag of Missouri The flag of Missouri, often referred to as the Missouri flag, is the state flag of the U.S. state of Missouri. It consists of three equal horizontal tribands of red, white, and blue stripes, with the arms of Missouri in the center. Designed by ...

was officially presented and introduced at that time. After his tenure ended in January 1917, Major retired from politics and returned to practice as a lawyer. His office was in

St. Louis St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the bi-state metropolitan area, which e ...

. He was married to Elizabeth Myers, with whom he had three children. He died on July 9, 1949, in

Eureka, Missouri Eureka is a city located in St. Louis County, Missouri, United States, adjacent to the cities of Wildwood and Pacific, along Interstate 44. It is in the extreme southwest of the Greater St. Louis metro area. As of the 2020 census, the cit ...

, and was buried in the Bowling Green City Cemetery at

Bowling Green, Missouri Bowling Green is a city in Pike County, Missouri, United States. The population was 5,334 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Pike County. History Bowling Green was settled in 1819, and designated county seat in 1824. Settled chiefly b ...

References

External links

* * 1864 births 1949 deaths Democratic Party governors of Missouri Missouri Attorneys General Politicians from St. Louis County, Missouri People from Lincoln County, Missouri {{Missouri-politician-stub