Thomas Montgomery Bell (March 17, 1861 – March 18, 1941) was an American

politician A politician is a person who participates in Public policy, policy-making processes, usually holding an elective position in government. Politicians represent the people, make decisions, and influence the formulation of public policy. The roles ...

who served as House majority whip from 1913 to 1915. Bell was born in Nacoochee Valley, near

Cleveland, Georgia Cleveland is a city in White County, Georgia, located northeast of Atlanta and southeast of Chattanooga, Tennessee. Its population was 3,514 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of White County. Cleveland is home to the North Georgia Zo ...

. He graduated from Moore's Business University at

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...

, then taught public school in Cleveland from 1878 to 1879. He then worked as a traveling salesman for several years. He served as clerk of the superior court of

Hall County, Georgia Hall County is a county in the Northeast region of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 203,136, up from 179,684 at the 2010 census. The county seat is Gainesville. The entirety of Hall County comprises the G ...

from 1898 to 1904, then was elected as a congress member in the Democratic Party of the United States, serving from March 4, 1905, to March 3, 1931. He served as majority whip from 1913 to 1915. In 1922, he was a prominent voice of racist opposition to anti-lynching legislation, arguing that political equality for

African Americans African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from any of the Black racial groups of Africa ...

is "something that would never be tolerated and should never be advocated by anyone." After an unsuccessful renomination in 1930, he returned to the private sector and died in

Gainesville, Georgia Gainesville is a city and the county seat of Hall County, Georgia, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city had a population of 42,296. Because of its large number of poultry processing plants, it has been calle ...

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1861 births 1941 deaths People from White County, Georgia Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Georgia (U.S. state) People from Hall County, Georgia People from Cleveland, Georgia 20th-century members of the United States House of Representatives {{GeorgiaUS-politician-stub