John Henry Marsalis (May 9, 1904 – June 26, 1971) was an American lawyer and politician who served one term as a U.S. Representative from Colorado from 1949 to 1951.

Early life and education

Born in McComb, Pike County, Mississippi, Marsalis attended the public schools of McComb, Mississippi. He moved with his parents to

Colorado Springs, Colorado Colorado Springs is a home rule municipality in, and the county seat of, El Paso County, Colorado, United States. It is the largest city in El Paso County, with a population of 478,961 at the 2020 United States Census, a 15.02% increase since ...

, in 1922, reportedly for the benefit of his father's health. He graduated from Colorado Springs High School in 1923 and enrolled as a student at the University of Mississippi in 1925 and 1926. He graduated from the University of Colorado Law School in 1934.

Career

He was admitted to the bar on March 14, 1935, and commenced the practice of law in Pueblo, Colorado. He was an investigator in district attorney's office in Pueblo in 1935 and 1936. He entered the United States Army on May 11, 1942, assigned to the Weather Squadron, United States Army Air Forces, and was discharged on June 16, 1945. He was a sergeant while running for office in November 1944."Soldier Elect Sheriff"
''Fort Collins Express-Courier'', Fort Collins, Colorado, November 30, 1944, page 13.

Political career

Marsalis was elected district attorney, tenth judicial district of Colorado, in 1944 and took oath of office while on furlough on January 9, 1945. He assumed his duties upon release from Army and served until December 1948. Marsalis was elected as a Democrat to the

81st Congress The 81st United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from January 3, 194 ...

(January 3, 1949 – January 3, 1951). He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1950 to the 82nd Congress and for election in 1952 to the

83rd Congress The 83rd United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the federal government of the United States in Washington, D.C. from January 3, 1953, until January 3, 1955, during the last two weeks of the Truman administration, with ...

. He was appointed city attorney on December 15, 1952, and served in that capacity until elected district judge, tenth judicial district of Colorado, in November 1954. He served in that office until his retirement on February 28, 1962.

Personal life

He was unmarried. He lived in Pueblo, Colorado, where he died June 26, 1971. He was interred in Roselawn Cemetery.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Marsalis, John Henry 1904 births 1971 deaths United States Army Air Forces non-commissioned officers Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Colorado Colorado state court judges 20th-century American lawyers 20th-century American politicians 20th-century American judges