Joseph Lafayette Rawlins (March 28, 1850May 24, 1926) was a delegate to the U.S. Congress from Utah Territory and a

Senator A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...

from Utah after statehood was achieved.

Biography

Rawlins was born at Millcreek in the Provisional State of Deseret (Millcreek is in present-day Salt Lake County, Utah). Rawlins pursued a classical course at Indiana University in Bloomington. He was a professor at the University of Deseret in Salt Lake City from 1873 to 1875. He then studied law; he was admitted to the bar in 1875, and he commenced practice in Salt Lake City. Raised in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), young Rawlins disliked the practice of

plural marriage Polygamy (called plural marriage by Latter-day Saints in the 19th century or the Principle by modern fundamentalist practitioners of polygamy) was practiced by leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) for more tha ...

and was grateful that his father, Joseph Sharp Rawlins, resisted the pressure of the church to take a second wife. However, when the elder Rawlins did succumb to the wishes of the authorities, his son began questioning the principles and practices of the Latter-day Saints. By the time Rawlins returned to Utah after his first year at college, he was well on the way toward apostasy in his views, and by the time he became Salt Lake's city attorney, he considered himself no longer a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He never returned to the church. Rawlins was elected as a Democrat as Utah Territory's delegate to the

Fifty-third Congress The 53rd 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, 1893, ...

(March 4, 1893 – March 3, 1895). He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1894 to the Fifty-fourth Congress. After Utah achieved statehood in 1896, Rawlins was elected by the Utah State Legislature as a Democrat to the United States Senate and served from March 4, 1897, to March 3, 1903. He was an unsuccessful candidate for re-election. Afterwards, Rawlins continued the practice of law in Utah in partnership with

Edgar A. Wedgwood Edgar A. Wedgwood (May 2, 1856 – January 31, 1920) was an attorney and National Guard officer prominent in Nebraska and Utah. A veteran of the Spanish–American War, Philippine–American War, and World War I, he was most notable for his serv ...

and

Samuel R. Thurman Samuel R. Thurman (1850–July 12, 1941) was a justice of the Utah Supreme Court from 1917 to 1929, serving as chief justice from 1927 to 1929. He was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Early life, education, and career ...

. In 1921, he withdrew from public life and active business, and he died in Salt Lake City. He is buried in Salt Lake City Cemetery.

References

External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Rawlins, Joseph L. 1850 births 1926 deaths Delegates to the United States House of Representatives from Utah Territory Democratic Party United States senators from Utah Indiana University alumni University of Utah faculty Utah Democrats Burials at Salt Lake City Cemetery Former Latter Day Saints

Biography

See also

References

External links