Walter Warren Magee (May 23, 1861 – May 25, 1927) was an American lawyer and politician from

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

. He was most notable for his service as a member of 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 ...

; elected as a Republican in 1914, he served from 1915 until his death.

Biography

Magee was born in

Groveland, New York Groveland is a town in Livingston County, New York, United States. The population was 3,249 at the 2010 census. The town is centrally located in the county, south of Geneseo. History The Sullivan Expedition (1779) reached its farthest exten ...

on May 23, 1861, a son of farmers Marietta (Patchin) Magee and John Magee, who served as a

colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...

in the state militia. He attended the local schools and the Wadsworth Normal and Training School (now the

State University of New York at Geneseo The State University of New York College at Geneseo (SUNY Geneseo, Geneseo State College or, colloquially, "Geneseo") is a public liberal arts college in Geneseo, New York. It is New York's public honors college and part of the State University ...

). Magee graduated from

Harvard University Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...

in 1889, and delivered the class oration at his graduation ceremony. He then studied law at the

Syracuse Syracuse most commonly refers to: * Syracuse, Sicily, Italy; in the province of Syracuse * Syracuse, New York, USA; in the Syracuse metropolitan area Syracuse may also refer to: Places * Syracuse railway station (disambiguation) Italy * Provi ...

firm of Baldwin & Kennedy, and was

admitted to the bar An admission to practice law is acquired when a lawyer receives a license to practice law. In jurisdictions with two types of lawyer, as with barristers and solicitors, barristers must gain admission to the bar whereas for solicitors there are dist ...

in 1891. He practiced law in

until 1904, and gained a reputation as a skilled trial attorney. Magee was also a talented athlete, and competed in tennis tournaments and other events. A Republican, Magee served on the

Onondaga County Onondaga County ( ) is a county in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2020 census, the population was 476,516. The county seat is Syracuse. The county is part of the Central New York region of the state. Onondaga County is the core of the ...

Board of Supervisors from 1892 to 1893. From 1904 to 1914, Magee served as Syracuse's

corporation counsel The corporation counsel is the title given to the chief legal officer who handles civil claims against the city in some U.S. municipal and county jurisdictions, including negotiating settlements and defending the city when it is sued. Most corp ...

. In 1914, Magee won election to the

House of Representatives House of Representatives is the name of legislative bodies in many countries and sub-national entities. In many countries, the House of Representatives is the lower house of a bicameral legislature, with the corresponding upper house often ...

. He was reelected six times, and served until his death. During his House career, Magee was appointed to the Appropriations Committee, and he rose through seniority to become chairman of its subcommittee on Agriculture.

Death and burial

Magee died in Syracuse on May 25, 1927. He was buried at Oakwood Cemetery in Syracuse.

Family

In 1895, Magee married Sarah Genevieve Wood (1873-1937), who was usually called Genevieve. They had no children. Genevieve Wood was the daughter of US Army Brigadier General Palmer G. Wood (1843-1915).

References

Sources

Books

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Newspapers

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External links

* 1861 births 1927 deaths Phillips Exeter Academy alumni Harvard University alumni Politicians from Syracuse, New York Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from New York (state) People from Groveland, New York Burials at Oakwood Cemetery (Syracuse, New York) Lawyers from Syracuse, New York 19th-century American lawyers 20th-century members of the United States House of Representatives {{NewYork-Representative-stub