Erland Harold Hedrick, better known as E. H. Hedrick (August 9, 1894 – September 20, 1954) was an American Democratic

politician A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking, a ...

from

West Virginia West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian, Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States.The Census Bureau and the Association of American Geographers classify West Virginia as part of the Southern United States while the Bur ...

. Born in

Barn A barn is an agricultural building usually on farms and used for various purposes. In North America, a barn refers to structures that house livestock, including cattle and horses, as well as equipment and fodder, and often grain.Allen G. ...

Mercer County, West Virginia Mercer County is a county on the southeastern border of the U.S. state of West Virginia. At the 2020 census, the population was 59,664. Its county seat is Princeton. The county was originally established in the State of Virginia by act of its G ...

, he was graduated from the medical school of the

University of Maryland, Baltimore The University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) is a public university in Baltimore, Maryland. Founded in 1807, it comprises some of the oldest professional schools of dentistry, law, medicine, pharmacy, social work and nursing in the United States ...

in 1917. During

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

he served in the

United States Army Medical Corps The Medical Corps (MC) of the U.S. Army is a staff corps (non-combat specialty branch) of the U.S. Army Medical Department (AMEDD) consisting of commissioned medical officers – physicians with either an M.D. or a D.O. degree, at least one ...

as a

first lieutenant First lieutenant is a commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces; in some forces, it is an appointment. The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations, but in most forces it is sub-divided into a s ...

(1917–1919). After the war he returned to Beckley where he started his own medical practice (1919–1944). Hedrick also served as a medical examiner for the

Veteran Administration The United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is a Cabinet-level executive branch department of the federal government charged with providing life-long healthcare services to eligible military veterans at the 170 VA medical centers an ...

from 1919 to 1944, city and country health officer (1927–1932) and superintendent of Pinecrest Tuberculosis Sanitarium in Beckley (1943–1944). His political career began when he was elected to the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the Lower house, lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States Senate, Senate being ...

in 1944 from the now extinct 6th district. He served four consecutive two-year terms from January 3, 1945 to January 3, 1953. Hedrick did not run for a fifth term in 1952, but instead sought the Democratic nomination for

governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

. However, he lost to William C. Marland, State Attorney General, who went on to win the general election. A fellow Democrat, State Senator

Robert Byrd Robert Carlyle Byrd (born Cornelius Calvin Sale Jr.; November 20, 1917 – June 28, 2010) was an American politician and musician who served as a United States senator from West Virginia for over 51 years, from 1959 until his death in 2010. A ...

, who eventually became Dean and President pro tem of the United States Senate and a Senate Majority Leader, replaced him as congressman from the 6th district. After his defeat for the gubernatorial nomination, Hedrick left politics and resumed his business and professional interests. He died in Beckley and is buried in Sunset Memorial Park.

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hedrick, Erland Harold 1894 births 1954 deaths Politicians from Beckley, West Virginia University of Maryland, Baltimore alumni Physicians from West Virginia Military personnel from West Virginia United States Army Medical Corps officers United States Army personnel of World War I Physicians from Maryland Medical examiners Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from West Virginia 20th-century American politicians