Edgar Bright Wilson (1874-1953) was an American lawyer and politician. He served as the

Speaker Speaker may refer to: Society and politics * Speaker (politics), the presiding officer in a legislative assembly * Public speaker, one who gives a speech or lecture * A person producing speech: the producer of a given utterance, especially: ** In ...

of the

Tennessee House of Representatives The Tennessee House of Representatives is the lower house of the Tennessee General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Tennessee. Constitutional requirements According to the state constitution of 1870, this body is to consis ...

from 1901 to 1903.

Early life

Edgar Brighton Wilson was born in 1874. His father, James A. Wilson, was a veteran of the

Confederate States Army The Confederate States Army, also called the Confederate Army or the Southern Army, was the military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) during the American Civil War (1861–1865), fighting ...

during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

. His mother was Mary Graves. His paternal uncle,

Samuel Franklin Wilson Samuel Franklin Wilson (1845-1923) was an American Confederate veteran, politician and judge. Early life Samuel Franklin Wilson was born on April 18, 1845, in Sumner County, Tennessee. He was of English descent. During paternal great-great-uncl ...

, was a Confederate veteran and a judge. Wilson was educated at the Chapel Hill Academy. He graduated from

Cumberland University Cumberland University is a private university in Lebanon, Tennessee. It was founded in 1842. The campus's current historic buildings were constructed between 1892 and 1896. History 1842-1861 The university was founded by the Cumberland ...

in 1893. He studied the law under his uncle, and he was admitted to the bar in 1894.

Career

Wilson practiced the law in

Gallatin, Tennessee Gallatin is a city in and the county seat of Sumner County, Tennessee. The population was 30,278 at the 2010 census and 44,431 at the 2020 census. Named for United States Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin, the city was established on ...

from 1894 to 1901. He was a lawyer in

Nashville, Tennessee Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the List of muni ...

from 1901 onward. Wilson served as a member of the

from 1898 to 1903, representing Sumner County. He also served as the Speaker of the House from 1901 to 1903. In 1908, Wilson moved to

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

and began practicing law there. In 1929 he was barred from practicing in the

United States District Court for the Southern District of New York The United States District Court for the Southern District of New York (in case citations, S.D.N.Y.) is a United States district court, federal trial court whose geographic jurisdiction encompasses eight counties of New York (state), New York ...

by Judge

Thomas D. Thacher Thomas Day Thacher (September 10, 1881 – November 12, 1950) was a United States federal judge, United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, the 21st Solicitor General of the United Sta ...

, who found that Wilson had gifted a car that was the property an company he was the receiver of to the stepson of Francis A. Winslow, who was under investigation following allegations of impropriety in the selection of court-appointed receivers. Wilson resigned from the New York State Bar on December 30, 1929.

Personal life and death

Wilson married Anna Lackey in 1902. He was a

Freemason Freemasonry or Masonry refers to fraternal organisations that trace their origins to the local guilds of stonemasons that, from the end of the 13th century, regulated the qualifications of stonemasons and their interaction with authorities ...

and a member of the

Knights of Pythias The Knights of Pythias is a fraternal organization and secret society founded in Washington, D.C., on . The Knights of Pythias is the first fraternal organization to receive a charter under an act of the United States Congress. It was founded ...

. He was a Presbyterian. He died in 1953.

References

1874 births 1953 deaths People from Chapel Hill, Tennessee Politicians from Nashville, Tennessee People from Gallatin, Tennessee Tennessee lawyers Democratic Party members of the Tennessee House of Representatives {{Tennessee-politician-stub