Frank Alexander McLain (January 29, 1852 – October 11, 1920) was an American politician and lawyer. He was a

U.S. Representative The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the 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 Article One of th ...

from

Mississippi Mississippi ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Alabama to the east, the Gulf of Mexico to the south, Louisiana to the s ...

from 1898 to 1909.

Early life

Frank Alexander McLain was born on January 29, 1852 near Gloster in

Amite County, Mississippi Amite County is a county located in the state of Mississippi on its southern border with Louisiana. As of the 2020 census, the population was 12,720. Its county seat is Liberty. The county is named after the Amite River, which runs through th ...

. He was the son of Enoch Bateman McLain and Nancy (Berryhill) McLain. Enoch served during the

Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...

as a member of

Nathan Bedford Forrest Nathan Bedford Forrest (July 13, 1821October 29, 1877) was an List of slave traders of the United States, American slave trader, active in the lower Mississippi River valley, who served as a General officers in the Confederate States Army, Con ...

's cavalry. Frank McLain attended the public schools of Amite County before attending the Woodlawn Institute in

East Feliciana Parish, Louisiana East Feliciana Parish (, ) is a List of parishes in Louisiana, parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 19,531. The parish seat is Clinton, Louisiana, Clinton. Established ...

, for a year. He then attended the University of Mississippi at Oxford, graduating in 1874.

Career

McLain then worked as a teacher and studied law in his free time. He was admitted to the bar in September 1879 and commenced practice in

Liberty, Mississippi Liberty is a town in Amite County, Mississippi. It is part of the McComb, Mississippi McComb micropolitan area, micropolitan statistical area. It is the county seat of Amite County. The town can be accessed via Interstate 55 in Mississippi, I-55 ...

, in 1880. In November 1881 he was elected to represent Amite County for two years in the Mississippi House of Representatives, serving from 1882 to 1884. He moved to Gloster, Mississippi, in 1885. He served as district attorney for the judicial district from 1883 until January 1, 1896, when he resigned. He resumed the practice of law in Gloster, Mississippi. He served as member of the State constitutional convention in 1890. McLain was elected as a

Democrat 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 (Cyprus) (DCY) **Democratic Part ...

to the Fifty-fifth Congress to fill the vacancy caused by the death of William F. Love. He was reelected to the Fifty-sixth and to the four succeeding Congresses and served from December 12, 1898, to March 3, 1909. State supreme court commissioner 1910–1912. He died in Gloster on October 11, 1920. He was interred in the City Cemetery.

Personal life

McLain married Mary Ann Tyler on March 6, 1879. They had three children: Mary, Enoch Bateman, and William Hines.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:McLain, Frank A. 1852 births 1920 deaths People from Gloster, Mississippi Democratic Party members of the Mississippi House of Representatives Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Mississippi 19th-century members of the United States House of Representatives 19th-century members of the Mississippi Legislature