John Otis (August 3, 1801 – October 17, 1856) 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

Maine Maine () is a state in the New England and Northeastern regions of the United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec to the northeast and north ...

Born in

Leeds, Massachusetts Leeds is a village in the western portion of the city of Northampton, Massachusetts, United States, bordering Williamsburg—along the Mill River—and Florence. The ZIP Code for Leeds is 01053. The village was named after the city of Leeds, in ...

(now in

), Otis attended the common schools, and was graduated from

Bowdoin College Bowdoin College ( ) is a private liberal arts college in Brunswick, Maine. When Bowdoin was chartered in 1794, Maine was still a part of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The college offers 34 majors and 36 minors, as well as several joint eng ...

Brunswick, Maine Brunswick is a town in Cumberland County, Maine, United States. The population was 21,756 at the 2020 United States Census. Part of the Portland-South Portland-Biddeford metropolitan area, Brunswick is home to Bowdoin College, the Bowdoin Intern ...

, in 1823. He studied law. He was admitted to the bar and commenced practice in

Hallowell, Maine Hallowell is a city in Kennebec County, Maine, United States. The population was 2,570 at the 2020 census. Popular with tourists, Hallowell is noted for its culture and old architecture. Hallowell is included in the Augusta, Maine, micropolita ...

, in 1826. He served as member of the State House of Representatives in 1841. He was appointed a member of the Northeastern Boundary Commission in 1842. He served in the

State Senate A state legislature in the United States is the legislative body of any of the 50 U.S. states. The formal name varies from state to state. In 27 states, the legislature is simply called the ''Legislature'' or the ''State Legislature'', whil ...

in 1842. He was again a member of the State House of Representatives in 1846 and 1847. He was elected as a Whig to the

31st United States Congress The 31st 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, 1849, ...

(March 4, 1849 – March 3, 1851). He died in

, October 17, 1856. He was interred in Hallowell Cemetery.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Otis, John 1801 births 1856 deaths Bowdoin College alumni Maine state senators Members of the Maine House of Representatives Otis family People from Leeds, Maine Maine lawyers Whig Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Maine 19th-century American legislators 19th-century American lawyers 19th-century American businesspeople