Emmett Wilson (September 17, 1882 – May 29, 1918) was an American lawyer and politician who served two terms as a

United States representative The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Artic ...

from

Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...

from 1913 to 1917.

Early life and education

He was the grandson of Augustus Emmett Maxwell. Wilson was born during the temporary residence of his parents at

Belize City Belize City is the largest city in Belize. It was once the capital city, capital of the former British Honduras. According to the 2022 census, Belize City has a population of 63,999 people. It is at the mouth of the Haulover Creek, which is a ...

British Honduras British Honduras was a Crown colony on the east coast of Central America — specifically located on the southern edge of the Yucatan Peninsula from 1783 to 1964, then a self-governing colony — renamed Belize from June 1973

. Wilson moved with his parents to

Chipley, Florida Chipley is a city in and the county seat of Washington County, Florida, United States, located between Tallahassee, Florida, Tallahassee and Pensacola, Florida, Pensacola. Its population was 3,660 in the 2020 census, up from 3,605 at the 2010 ce ...

, where he attended the public schools and Florida State College at

Tallahassee, Florida Tallahassee ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of and the only incorporated municipality in Leon County, Florida, Leon County. Tallahassee became the capital of Fl ...

Career

He was employed as a railroad telegrapher and later as a stenographer and was graduated from the law department of the

Stetson University Stetson University is a private university in DeLand, Florida, United States. Established in 1883 as DeLand Academy, it was later renamed John B. Stetson University in honor of John B. Stetson. The university's main campus in DeLand spans 175 ...

at DeLand in 1904. Admitted to the bar the same year, he commenced practice in

Marianna, Florida Marianna is a city in and the county seat of Jackson County, Florida, United States, and it is home to Chipola College, part of the state's public system. The official nickname of Marianna is "The City of Southern Charm". The population was 6,24 ...

. He later moved to

Pensacola, Florida Pensacola ( ) is a city in the Florida panhandle in the United States. It is the county seat and only incorporated city, city in Escambia County, Florida, Escambia County. The population was 54,312 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. ...

, in 1906 and continued the practice of law. Wilson was appointed assistant

United States attorney United States attorneys are officials of the U.S. Department of Justice who serve as the chief federal law enforcement officers in each of the 94 U.S. federal judicial districts. Each U.S. attorney serves as the United States' chief federal ...

for the northern district of Florida February 1, 1907, and United States attorney for the same district October 7, 1907. He held the position until March 1909. He was the state’s attorney for the first judicial circuit of Florida from 1911 to 1913.

Congress

Wilson was elected as a Democrat to the Sixty-third and Sixty-fourth Congresses (March 4, 1913 – March 3, 1917). He was an unsuccessful candidate for renomination in 1916.

Later career and death

After leaving Congress, he resumed the practice of law in Pensacola, Florida and died there in 1918. He was buried in St. John’s Cemetery.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wilson, Emmett 1882 births 1918 deaths Florida State University alumni Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Florida Politicians from Pensacola, Florida Stetson University College of Law alumni People from Belize City Belizean emigrants to the United States People from Chipley, Florida United States attorneys for the Northern District of Florida 20th-century members of the United States House of Representatives