William LeRoy "Roy" LaFollette Jr. (1890–1950) was an American political figure and lawyer. He served in the

Washington House of Representatives The Washington House of Representatives is the lower house of the Washington State Legislature, and along with the Washington State Senate makes up the legislature of the U.S. state of Washington. It is composed of 98 Representatives from 49 ...

in the State Legislature.The Spokesman-Review - Google News Archive Search
/ref> He was elected Prosecuting Attorney of Whitman County several times. He was appointed by President

Franklin Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt (January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), also known as FDR, was the 32nd president of the United States, serving from 1933 until his death in 1945. He is the longest-serving U.S. president, and the only one to have served ...

to the Washington State Public Works Commission.

Early life and education

Roy was raised in Whitman County on his family wheat ranches and fruit orchards. He graduated from

Washington State University Washington State University (WSU, or colloquially Wazzu) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Pullman, Washington, United States. Founded in 1890, WSU is also one of the oldest Land-grant uni ...

where he was a member of the

ROTC The Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC; or ) is a group of college- and university-based officer-training programs for training commissioned officers of the United States Armed Forces. While ROTC graduate officers serve in all branches o ...

and

George Washington University Law School The George Washington University Law School (GW Law) is the law school of George Washington University, a Private university, private research university in Washington, D.C. Established in 1865, GW Law is the oldest law school in Washington, D. ...

Washington D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

Political career

While still a law student, he ran his father,

William La Follette William Leroy La Follette (November 30, 1860 – December 20, 1934) was a four-term member of the United States House of Representatives representing Washington (state), Washington. He represented the Washington's 3rd congressional district, 3rd ...

's, Congressional office in the nation's capital. The Congressman shared his

Mount Pleasant, Washington, D.C. Mount Pleasant is a Neighborhoods in Washington, D.C., neighborhood in Washington, D.C., located in Northwest (Washington, D.C.), Northwest D.C. The neighborhood is primarily residential, with restaurants and stores centered along a commercial c ...

house with his cousin,

Robert M. La Follette Robert Marion La Follette Sr. (June 14, 1855June 18, 1925), nicknamed "Fighting Bob," was an American lawyer and politician. He represented Wisconsin in both chambers of Congress and served as the 20th governor of Wisconsin from 1901 to 1906. ...

and his family. At the age of 26, Roy returned to Washington State to run for Prosecuting Attorney in Whitman County. He served for many years as Prosecuting Attorney. He was elected to the Washington State Legislature. He was appointed to the Washington State Public Works Commission during the administration of Franklin Roosevelt. He lost bids for Lt. Governor and US Congress. He was a popular and well known campaigner who played his violin and sang songs on the stump. He was often accompanied by his wife, Helen, on the piano and his daughters: Mimi and Mary Lee, who performed Scottish dances as he played and sang.

Personal life

He was a practicing attorney for many years in Colfax. He was president of the Whitman County Bar Association. He served on a number of local boards. He was a member of the

La Follette family The La Follette family is a prominent family in the United States, especially in Wisconsin. Many of the family members have pursued political office. Members * Robert M. La Follette Sr. (1855–1925), District Attorney of Dane County, Wisconsin ...

His father was Congressman William La Follette, first cousin of United States Senator Robert La Follette Sr. His uncle was

Harvey Marion LaFollette Harvey Marion LaFollette (September 8, 1858 – September 20, 1929) was an American teacher and educator, who as a young man, served two terms as Indiana Superintendent of Public Instruction. He then moved to Tennessee, where he established the ...

Suzanne La Follette Suzanne Clara La Follette (June 24, 1893 – April 23, 1983) was an American journalist and author who advocated for libertarian feminism in the first half of the 20th century. As an editor she helped found several magazines. She was an early and ...

was a younger sister. Chester La Follette was a younger brother. His older brother, Tabor LaFollette, compiled: ''The History of Colfax.'' He was the father of educator and author, Mimi LaFollette Summerskill.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lafollette, William Leroy Jr. 1890 births 1950 deaths George Washington University Law School alumni La Follette family Members of the Washington House of Representatives People from Colfax, Washington Washington State University alumni People from Mount Pleasant (Washington, D.C.) 20th-century members of the Washington State Legislature