Riley Joseph Wilson (November 12, 1871 – February 23, 1946) was a

Louisiana Louisiana ( ; ; ) is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It borders Texas to the west, Arkansas to the north, and Mississippi to the east. Of the 50 U.S. states, it ranks 31st in area and 25 ...

educator A teacher, also called a schoolteacher or formally an educator, is a person who helps students to acquire knowledge, competence, or virtue, via the practice of teaching. ''Informally'' the role of teacher may be taken on by anyone (e.g. w ...

, attorney and

legislator A legislator, or lawmaker, is a person who writes and passes laws, especially someone who is a member of a legislature. Legislators are often elected by the people, but they can be appointed, or hereditary. Legislatures may be supra-nat ...

in the late 19th century and the first decades of the 20th century. 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 ...

, Wilson served in the

United States House of Representatives 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 1915 until 1937.

Biography

Wilson was born near Goldonna in

Winn Parish Winn Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. As of the 2020 census, the population was 13,755. The parish seat and largest city is Winnfield. The parish was founded in 1852. It is last in alphabetical order of Louisiana's s ...

, Louisiana, on November 12, 1871. He graduated from Iuka Normal Institute in 1894 and became the principal of Harrisonburg High School in

Harrisonburg, Louisiana Harrisonburg is a village in and the parish seat of Catahoula Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 348 as of the 2010 census, down from 746 in 2000. Riley J. Wilson, who held Louisiana's 5th congressional district seat from 1 ...

, serving from 1895 to 1897. Mr. Wilson later studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1898 and began practicing in Harrisonburg.

Career

Riley J. Wilson served as a district attorney, judge, member of the State House of Representatives, and a US Congressman. He represented Louisiana in the U.S. House of Representatives for a total of 11 terms, from 1915 to 1937. He was defeated for renomination in 1936 by Newt V. Mills.

Death and burial

He died on February 23, 1946 in Ruston, Louisiana, at the age of 74. He is buried in Greenwood Cemetery.

References

* . Retrieved on November 21, 2006

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Wilson, Riley Politicians from Ruston, Louisiana People from Harrisonburg, Louisiana People from Goldonna, Louisiana 1946 deaths 1871 births Educators from Louisiana Louisiana lawyers Democratic Party members of the Louisiana House of Representatives Louisiana state court judges Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Louisiana People from Ruston, Louisiana 20th-century members of the United States House of Representatives