Samuel Brashear Avis (February 19, 1872 – June 8, 1924) was an American politician who represented

West Virginia West Virginia is a mountainous U.S. state, state in the Southern United States, Southern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States.The United States Census Bureau, Census Bureau and the Association of American ...

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 1913 to 1915. Avis was born in

Harrisonburg, Virginia Harrisonburg is an independent city (United States), independent city in the Shenandoah Valley region of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. It is also the county seat of the surrounding Rockingham Cou ...

where he attended the public schools and

Staunton Military Academy Staunton Military Academy was a private all-male Military academy, military school located in Staunton, Virginia. Founded in 1884, the academy closed in 1976. The school was highly regarded for its academic and military programs, and many notable ...

. He was graduated from the law department of

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 ...

. Admitted to the bar in 1893, he commenced practice in

Charleston, West Virginia Charleston () is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in West Virginia, most populous city of the U.S. state of West Virginia. It is the county seat of Kanawha County, West Virginia, Kanawha County and ...

. Avis was commissioned senior captain of Company A, Second West Virginia Volunteer Infantry, during the

Spanish–American War The Spanish–American War (April 21 – August 13, 1898) was fought between Restoration (Spain), Spain and the United States in 1898. It began with the sinking of the USS Maine (1889), USS ''Maine'' in Havana Harbor in Cuba, and resulted in the ...

in 1898. He served until 1899 when he was honorably discharged. After the war, he served as prosecuting attorney of

Kanawha County, West Virginia Kanawha County ( ) is a county in the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 180,745, making it West Virginia's most populous county. The county seat is Charleston, which is also the state capital and most ...

from January 1, 1900, to December 31, 1912. Later, he was an assistant United States attorney for the southern district of West Virginia from August 22 to November 15, 1904. He was elected as a Republican to the Sixty-third Congress (March 4, 1913 – March 3, 1915) but was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1914 to the Sixty-fourth Congress. After leaving Congress, he resumed the practice of law. He was killed by

lightning Lightning is a natural phenomenon consisting of electrostatic discharges occurring through the atmosphere between two electrically charged regions. One or both regions are within the atmosphere, with the second region sometimes occurring on ...

June 8, 1924, and was interred there in Spring Hill Cemetery.

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Avis, Samuel B. 1872 births 1924 deaths 19th-century American lawyers 20th-century American lawyers Accidental deaths in West Virginia American Episcopalians American military personnel of the Spanish–American War Burials at Spring Hill Cemetery (Charleston, West Virginia) County prosecuting attorneys in West Virginia Deaths from lightning strikes Politicians from Charleston, West Virginia People from Harrisonburg, Virginia Washington and Lee University School of Law alumni West Virginia lawyers Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from West Virginia Lawyers from Charleston, West Virginia 20th-century West Virginia politicians 20th-century members of the United States House of Representatives