Henry Otis Pratt (February 11, 1838 – May 22, 1931) was an American lawyer,

Methodist Episcopal The Methodist Episcopal Church (MEC) was the oldest and largest Methodist denomination in the United States from its founding in 1784 until 1939. It was also the first religious denomination in the US to organize itself on a national basis. In ...

minister, and two-term

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

U.S. representative 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 chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...

from

Iowa's 4th congressional district Iowa's 4th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Iowa that covers its northwestern part, bordering the states of Minnesota, South Dakota, and Nebraska, and the Missouri River. The district includes Sioux City, ...

Early life and education

Born in

Dover-Foxcroft, Maine Dover-Foxcroft is the largest town in and the seat of Piscataquis County, Maine, United States. The population was 4,422 at the 2020 census. The town is located near the geographic center of the state. History Dover-Foxcroft was originally tw ...

, Pratt attended the common schools and

Foxcroft Academy Foxcroft Academy is a private preparatory high school located in Dover-Foxcroft, Piscataquis County, Maine. Chartered by the Maine legislature in 1823, Foxcroft Academy was established just a few years after the incorporation of the town of F ...

. He later graduated from

Harvard Law School Harvard Law School (Harvard Law or HLS) is the law school of Harvard University, a private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest continuously operating law school in the United States. Each class ...

Career

After graduating from law schoo, Pratt moved to

Charles City, Iowa Charles City is a city in and the county seat of Floyd County, Iowa. Charles City is a significant commercial and transportation center for the area. U.S. Routes 18 and 218, Iowa Highway 14, and the Canadian National and Canadian Pacific railr ...

, in 1862 and taught school. He 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 ...

Mason City, Iowa Mason City is a city and the county seat of Cerro Gordo County, Iowa, United States. The population was 27,338 in the 2020 census, a decline from 29,172 in the 2000 census. The Mason City Micropolitan Statistical Area includes all of Cerro Go ...

, in 1862, but his commencement of practice was delayed by the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

. He enlisted in the

Union Army During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union (American Civil War), Union of the collective U.S. st ...

in August 1862 and served in Company B of the 37th Iowa Infantry Regiment, until March 1863, when he was discharged at Fort Pillow in

Henning, Tennessee Henning is a town in Lauderdale County, Tennessee. The population was 945 at the 2010 census. History The infamous Battle of Fort Pillow, a Civil War victory for the Confederates, took place near Henning. Here, nearly 300 black troops serving in ...

due to the

measles Measles is a highly contagious infectious disease caused by measles virus. Symptoms usually develop 10–12 days after exposure to an infected person and last 7–10 days. Initial symptoms typically include fever, often greater than , cough, ...

. He commenced the practice of law in

, in 1864. He was a captain."Notable Iowan Passes"
''Rock Valley Bee'', Rock Valley, Iowa, volume 43, number 36, June 12, 1931, page 4. He was the county superintendent of public schools of

Floyd County, Iowa Floyd County is a county located in the U.S. state of Iowa. As of the 2020 census, the population was 15,627. The county seat is Charles City. History Floyd County was established in 1854 and was named for Sergeant Charles Floyd of the Lewi ...

in 1868 and 1869. He served one term as a member of the

Iowa House of Representatives The Iowa House of Representatives is the lower house of the Iowa General Assembly, the upper house being the Iowa Senate. There are 100 seats in the Iowa House of Representatives, representing 100 single-member districts across the state, formed ...

from 1870 to 1872. In 1872, Pratt was elected as a Republican to represent Iowa's 4th congressional district in the

43rd United States Congress The 43rd United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1873, ...

. He was re-elected two years later, and served in the

44th United States Congress The 44th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. ) , image_sk ...

. He was not a candidate for renomination in 1876. He served in Congress from March 4, 1873 to March 3, 1877. Returning to Iowa, he served as president of the 1877 Republican State Convention. After studying for the ministry, he was ordained and entered the ministry of the Methodist Episcopal Church in October 1877. He continued his ministerial duties until retired on account of age in October 1918.

Death

He died in

Cedar Rapids, Iowa Cedar Rapids () is the second-largest city in Iowa, United States and is the county seat of Linn County, Iowa, Linn County. The city lies on both banks of the Cedar River (Iowa River), Cedar River, north of Iowa City, Iowa, Iowa City and north ...

, on May 22, 1931. He was interred in Oak Hill Cemetery.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Pratt, Henry Otis 1838 births 1931 deaths Harvard Law School alumni People from Dover-Foxcroft, Maine Union Army officers Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Iowa People from Charles City, Iowa Foxcroft Academy alumni Military personnel from Iowa