John Overton Pendleton (July 4, 1851 – December 24, 1916) was a

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

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 B ...

Biography

Pendleton was born in

Wellsburg, West Virginia Wellsburg is a city in and the county seat of Brooke County, West Virginia, United States. The 2020 census recorded a population of 2,455. It is a part of the Weirton–Steubenville metropolitan area. The city's economy includes several telemar ...

(then part of Virginia), the son of Confederate veteran Joseph H. Pendleton and Margaret (Ewing) Pendleton. His family moved to

Wheeling, West Virginia Wheeling is a city in the U.S. state of West Virginia. Located almost entirely in Ohio County, of which it is the county seat, it lies along the Ohio River in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains and also contains a tiny portion extending ...

(then part of Virginia) in 1851. He attended Aspen Hill Academy in Louisa County, Virginia from 1865 to 1869. From 1869 to 1871 he was a student at Bethany College. He studied law, 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 ...

in 1874 and commenced practice in Wheeling. Pendleton was active in politics as a

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 ...

. In 1886, he was an unsuccessful candidate for the

. In March 1889, he presented credentials as a Member-elect to the

51st United States Congress The 51st United States Congress, referred to by some critics as the Billion Dollar 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 R ...

Congress and took his seat. He served from March 4, 1889, to February 26, 1890, when he was succeeded by George W. Atkinson, who successfully contested the election. Atkinson served out the remainder of the term, until March 3, 1891. In 1890, Pendleton was elected to the 52nd Congress. He was reelected to the 53rd Congress in 1892, and he served from March 4, 1891, to March 3, 1895. In the 53rd Congress, Pendleton was chairman of the Committee on Private Land Claims.

Later life

Pendleton was an unsuccessful candidate for re-nomination in 1894. After leaving Congress he resumed the practice of law in Wheeling. He died in Wheeling on December 24, 1916, and was interred at Greenwood Cemetery in Wheeling.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pendleton, John Overton 1851 births 1916 deaths People from Wellsburg, West Virginia Politicians from Wheeling, West Virginia Bethany College (West Virginia) alumni Burials at Greenwood Cemetery (Wheeling, West Virginia) Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from West Virginia 19th-century American politicians Lawyers from Wheeling, West Virginia 19th-century American lawyers Pendleton family