Samuel Brashear Avis (February 19, 1872 – June 8, 1924) was an American politician who represented

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 Bur ...

in the

United States House of Representatives 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 house, lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States Senate, Senate being ...

from 1913 to 1915. Avis was born in

Harrisonburg, Virginia Harrisonburg is an independent city in the Shenandoah Valley region of the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. It is also the county seat of the surrounding Rockingham County, although the two are separate jurisdictions. At the 2 ...

where he attended the public schools and

Staunton Military Academy Staunton Military Academy was a private all-male military school located in Staunton, Virginia. Founded in 1884, the academy closed in 1976. The school was highly regarded for its academic and military programs, and many notable American political ...

. He was graduated from the law department of

Washington and Lee University , mottoeng = "Not Unmindful of the Future" , established = , type = Private liberal arts university , academic_affiliations = , endowment = $2.092 billion (2021) , president = William C. Dudley , provost = Lena Hill , city = Lexingto ...

Lexington, Virginia Lexington is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. At the 2020 census, the population was 7,320. It is the county seat of Rockbridge County, although the two are separate jurisdictions. The Bureau of Economic Analysis combines ...

. Admitted to the bar in 1893, he commenced practice in

Charleston, West Virginia Charleston is the capital and List of cities in West Virginia, most populous city of West Virginia. Located at the confluence of the Elk River (West Virginia), Elk and Kanawha River, Kanawha rivers, the city had a population of 48,864 at the 20 ...

. Avis was commissioned senior captain of Company A, Second West Virginia Volunteer Infantry, during the

Spanish–American War , partof = the Philippine Revolution, the decolonization of the Americas, and the Cuban War of Independence , image = Collage infobox for Spanish-American War.jpg , image_size = 300px , caption = (clock ...

in 1898. He served until 1899 when he was honorably discharged. After the war, he served as prosecuting attorney of

Kanawha County, West Virginia Kanawha County ( ) is a county in the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 180,745, making it West Virginia's most populous county. The county seat is Charleston, which is also the state capital. Kanawha Coun ...

from January 1, 1900, to December 31, 1912. Later, he was an assistant United States attorney for the southern district of West Virginia from August 22 to November 15, 1904. He was elected as a Republican to the

Sixty-third Congress The 63rd United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1913, to ...

(March 4, 1913 – March 3, 1915) but was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1914 to the

Sixty-fourth Congress The 64th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, DC from March 4, 1915, to M ...

. After leaving Congress, he resumed the practice of law. He was killed by

lightning Lightning is a naturally occurring electrostatic discharge during which two electric charge, electrically charged regions, both in the atmosphere or with one on the land, ground, temporarily neutralize themselves, causing the instantaneous ...

June 8, 1924, and was interred there in Spring Hill Cemetery.

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Avis, Samuel B. 1872 births 1924 deaths 19th-century American lawyers 20th-century American lawyers Accidental deaths in West Virginia American Episcopalians American military personnel of the Spanish–American War Burials at Spring Hill Cemetery (Charleston, West Virginia) County prosecuting attorneys in West Virginia Deaths from lightning strikes Politicians from Charleston, West Virginia People from Harrisonburg, Virginia Washington and Lee University School of Law alumni West Virginia lawyers Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from West Virginia Lawyers from Charleston, West Virginia