Perl D. Decker (September 10, 1875 – August 22, 1934) 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

Missouri Missouri is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee ...

. Born on a farm near

Coolville, Ohio Coolville is a village located in Troy Township, Athens County, Ohio, United States, in the southeast area of the state. The population was 496 at the 2010 census. Geography Coolville is located at (39.222197, -81.797639). It is located on th ...

, Decker moved with his parents to a farm near

Hollis, Kansas Hollis is an unincorporated community in Cloud County, Kansas, United States. History 1909 tornado damage The community was originally named Christie, for W. J. Christie, the original owner of the town site. Hollis was a shipping point located a ...

, in 1879. He attended the public schools of Cloud County, and Park College,

Parkville, Missouri Parkville is a city in Platte County, Missouri, United States and is a part of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area. The population was 7,177 at the 2020 census (2021 est, 7,810). Parkville is known for its antique shops, art galleries, and his ...

, from which he was graduated in 1897. He graduated in law from the

University of Kansas at Lawrence The University of Kansas (KU) is a public research university with its main campus in Lawrence, Kansas, United States, and several satellite campuses, research and educational centers, medical centers, and classes across the state of Kansas. Tw ...

in 1899. He was admitted to the bar in 1900 and commenced practice at

Joplin, Missouri Joplin is a city in Jasper County, Missouri, Jasper and Newton County, Missouri, Newton counties in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Missouri. The bulk of the city is in Jasper County, while the southern portion is in Newton County. J ...

. He served as city attorney from 1900–1902. Decker was elected 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 ...

to the Sixty-third, Sixty-fourth, and Sixty-fifth Congresses (March 4, 1913 – March 4, 1919). On April 5, 1917, he was one of 50 representatives who voted against declaring war on Germany. He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1918 to the Sixty-sixth Congress. He resumed the practice of law in

. He served as delegate to the Democratic National Convention in 1932. He died in

Kansas City, Missouri Kansas City (abbreviated KC or KCMO) is the largest city in Missouri by population and area. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 508,090 in 2020, making it the 36th most-populous city in the United States. It is the central ...

, August 22, 1934. He was interred in Mount Hope Cemetery,

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Decker, Perl D. 1875 births 1934 deaths University of Kansas School of Law alumni Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Missouri Politicians from Joplin, Missouri People from Athens County, Ohio