John Russell Tyson (November 28, 1856 – March 27, 1923) was an American lawyer, politician and judge. He served in the

Alabama legislature The Alabama Legislature is the legislative branch of the government of the U.S. state of Alabama. It is a bicameral body composed of the House of Representatives and Senate. It is one of the few state legislatures in which members of both cham ...

before becoming a circuit judge, and later serving on the

Alabama Supreme Court The Supreme Court of Alabama is the highest court in the state of Alabama. The court consists of a chief justice and eight associate justices. Each justice is elected in partisan elections for staggered six-year terms. The Supreme Court is hous ...

as associate justice and chief justice, before resigning to resume his legal practice. Elected as

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 ...

for

Alabama's 2nd congressional district Alabama's 2nd congressional district is a United States congressional district in Alabama, which elects a representative to the United States House of Representatives. It shares most of Montgomery, Alabama, Montgomery metropolitan area, and in ...

in 1920, he won re-election in 1922, but died less than a month after being sworn in to the 67th U.S. Congress.

Early and family life

Through an entirely paternal line, Tyson was a direct descendant of famed English scientist

Edward Tyson Edward Tyson (20 January 1651 – 1 August 1708) was an English scientist and physician. He is commonly regarded as the founder of modern comparative anatomy, which compares the anatomy between species. Biography Tyson was born the son of Edward ...

. John R. Tyson graduated from

Howard College Howard College is a Public college, public community college with its main campus in Big Spring, Texas. It also has branch campuses in San Angelo, Texas, San Angelo and Lamesa, Texas, Lamesa. History Howard County Junior College was establishe ...

Marion, Alabama Marion is a city in and the county seat of Perry County, Alabama, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population of the city is 3,686, up 4.8% over 2000. First known as Muckle Ridge, the city was renamed for a hero of the American Revolut ...

, in 1877 and from

Washington and Lee University Washington and Lee University (Washington and Lee or W&L) is a Private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Lexington, Virginia, United States. Established in 1749 as Augusta Academy, it is among ...

Lexington, Virginia Lexington is an Independent city (United States)#Virginia, independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 7,320. It is the county seat of Rockbridge County, Virg ...

, in 1879. He married Mary Dossie Jordan, daughter of Dr. James R. Jordan who died in Lexington, Virginia in 1862. Their children included Patsy J. Tyson (1881-1972), Ellen Tyson Noble (1887-1977) and James Jordan Tyson (1893-1966).

Career

Admitted to the Alabama bar in 1879, Tyson began his legal career in Hayneville,

Lowndes County, Alabama Lowndes County is in the central part of the U.S. state of Alabama. As of the 2020 census, the county's population was 10,311. Its county seat is Hayneville. The county is named in honor of William Lowndes, a member of the United States Con ...

. He represented Lowndes County in the Alabama State house of representatives in 1880, and four years later moved to the state capital,

Montgomery, Alabama Montgomery is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Alabama. Named for Continental Army major general Richard Montgomery, it stands beside the Alabama River on the Gulf Coastal Plain. The population was 2 ...

, and established his legal practice there. Montgomery voters elected and re-elected Tyson as a member of the city council beginning in May 1889 and he became its president in May 1891. He resigned that position in October 1892, after accepting an appointment to the circuit court.

Judicial career

Tyson served as a circuit court judge from 1892 to 1898. He then served as associate justice of the

from 1898 to 1906, then became its chief justice from November 1906 to February 28, 1909, when he resigned and resumed the practice of law in

U.S. Congressman

Tyson 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 Sixty-seventh and Sixty-eighth Congresses, and served from March 4, 1921, until his death in

Rochester, Minnesota Rochester is a city in Olmsted County, Minnesota, United States, and its county seat. It is located along rolling bluffs on the Zumbro River's south fork in Southeast Minnesota. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city had a popul ...

, on March 27, 1923.

Death and legacy

He died in

, in hospital, and was buried in Oakwood Cemetery. His grandson, John M. Tyson Sr. continued the family's legal and political traditions, serving as a municipal judge and in both houses of the

representing Mobile, although he lost his race to represent

Alabama's 1st congressional district Alabama's 1st congressional district is a United States congressional district in Alabama, which elects a representative to the United States House of Representatives. It includes the entirety of Baldwin County, Alabama, Baldwin, Coffee County, ...

in 1964. His great-grandson John M. Tyson Sr. served as the Mobile County District Attorney, but lost his bids for statewide elective office.

References