John M. Sell (October 9, 1863 – September 19, 1930) was an American

house painter A house painter and decorator is a tradesman responsible for the painting and decorating of buildings, and is also known as a decorator or house painter.''The Modern Painter and Decorator'' volume 1 1921 Caxton The purpose of painting is to imp ...

interior decorator Interior design is the art and science of enhancing the interior of a building to achieve a healthier and more aesthetically pleasing environment for the people using the space. An interior designer is someone who plans, researches, coordina ...

and

trade union A trade union (labor union in American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers intent on "maintaining or improving the conditions of their employment", ch. I such as attaining better wages and benefits ( ...

activist from

Milwaukee Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census, Milwaukee is ...

Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...

who served one term as a

Socialist Socialism is a left-wing economic philosophy and movement encompassing a range of economic systems characterized by the dominance of social ownership of the means of production as opposed to private ownership. As a term, it describes the e ...

member of the

Wisconsin State Assembly The Wisconsin State Assembly is the lower house of the Wisconsin Legislature. Together with the smaller Wisconsin Senate, the two constitute the legislative branch of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Representatives are elected for two-year terms, ...

Background

Sell was born October 9, 1863, in

Concord, Wisconsin Concord is a town in Jefferson County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 2,072 at the 2010 census. The unincorporated community of Concord is located in the town. Geography According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a ...

. He attended the Concord and Fifth

Ward Ward may refer to: Division or unit * Hospital ward, a hospital division, floor, or room set aside for a particular class or group of patients, for example the psychiatric ward * Prison ward, a division of a penal institution such as a pris ...

of Milwaukee public schools, and Hoffman's

Business College A business college is a school that provides education above the high school level but could not be compared to that of a traditional university or college. Unlike universities and even junior and community colleges, business colleges typically t ...

in Milwaukee, after which he learned the house painting trade. He had been an interior decorator and a member of the Painter's Union for 19 years, had been a

trustee Trustee (or the holding of a trusteeship) is a legal term which, in its broadest sense, is a synonym for anyone in a position of trust and so can refer to any individual who holds property, authority, or a position of trust or responsibility to t ...

for years, and was a member of the

executive board A board of directors (commonly referred simply as the board) is an executive committee that jointly supervises the activities of an organization, which can be either a for-profit or a nonprofit organization such as a business, nonprofit organiz ...

, when elected to the Assembly.

Legislative service

Sell was elected in 1918, to represent the Thirteenth

Milwaukee County Milwaukee County is located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. At the 2020 census, the population was 939,489, down from 947,735 in 2010. It is both the most populous and most densely populated county in Wisconsin, and the 45th most populous coun ...

district (the 13th Ward of the City of Milwaukee), receiving 1,057 votes to 958 for

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

Leander J. Pierson (Dem.) and 677 for incumbent

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 ...

Assemblyman Hugo Jeske. He was assigned to the

standing committee A committee or commission is a body of one or more persons subordinate to a deliberative assembly. A committee is not itself considered to be a form of assembly. Usually, the assembly sends matters into a committee as a way to explore them more ...

transportation Transport (in British English), or transportation (in American English), is the intentional movement of humans, animals, and goods from one location to another. Modes of transport include air, land (rail and road), water, cable, pipeline, ...

. He ran for re-election in 1920, but was defeated by Pierson (now running as a Republican; there was no Democratic candidate), who won 2894 votes to 2031 for Sell.

Death

He died Milwaukee in September 1930 from injuries sustained in a fall, and was buried on September 22.

Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. newspa ...

. "Hold Funeral Services" ''

Rhinelander Daily News ''The Rhinelander Daily News'' is a newspaper based in Rhinelander, Wisconsin. The newspaper is published mornings, six days per week, from Sunday to Friday. It is owned by Northwoods Media LLC. ''The Daily News'' is primarily distributed in the ...

'' September 22, 1930

References

1863 births 1930 deaths House painters American interior designers Members of the Wisconsin State Assembly People from Concord, Wisconsin Politicians from Milwaukee Socialist Party of America politicians from Wisconsin {{Wisconsin-WIAssembly-stub