Walter Russell Stiness (March 13, 1854 – March 17, 1924) 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

Rhode Island Rhode Island (, like ''road'') is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is the List of U.S. states by area, smallest U.S. state by area and the List of states and territories of the United States ...

. Born in

Smithfield, Rhode Island Smithfield is a town that is located in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. It includes the historic villages of Esmond, Georgiaville, Mountaindale, Hanton City, Stillwater and Greenville. The population was 22,118 at the 2020 cen ...

, Stiness attended the public schools and was a student at

Brown University Brown University is a private research university in Providence, Rhode Island. Brown is the seventh-oldest institution of higher education in the United States, founded in 1764 as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providenc ...

Providence, Rhode Island Providence is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. One of the oldest cities in New England, it was founded in 1636 by Roger Williams, a Reformed Baptist theologian and religious exile from the Massachusetts Bay ...

, in 1873 and 1874. He served in the city council in 1875. He was graduated from

Boston University School of Law Boston University School of Law (Boston Law or BU Law) is the law school of Boston University, a private research university in Boston, Massachusetts. It is consistently ranked among the top law schools in the United States and considered an eli ...

in 1877. He 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 ...

the same year and commenced practice in

. He served as member of the State house of representatives 1878-1881. He served as clerk of the justice court of Providence 1879-1885. He served as aide-de-camp on the staff of Gov.

Augustus O. Bourn Augustus Osborn Bourn (October 1, 1834January 29, 1925) was an American politician and the 36th Governor of Rhode Island. Early life Bourn was born in Providence, Rhode Island, on October 1, 1834. He was the son of George O. Bourn and Huldah ...

1883-1885. State railroad commissioner 1888-1891. He served as assistant judge advocate general of Rhode Island 1888-1898. He served as judge advocate general 1898-1913. He served as member of the State senate 1904-1909. He served as chairman of the commission to revise the statutes of Rhode Island in 1909. United States attorney for the district of Rhode Island 1911-1914. Stiness was elected as a

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

to the Sixty-fourth and to the three succeeding Congresses (March 4, 1915 – March 3, 1923). He was not a candidate for renomination in 1922. He lived in retirement in

Warwick, Rhode Island Warwick ( or ) is a city in Kent County, Rhode Island, the third largest city in the state with a population of 82,823 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. It is located approximately south of downtown Providence, Rhode Island, sout ...

, until his death there March 17, 1924. He was interred in Swan Point Cemetery,

Sources

{{DEFAULTSORT:Stiness, Walter Russell 1854 births 1924 deaths Boston University School of Law alumni Politicians from Warwick, Rhode Island People from Smithfield, Rhode Island Republican Party members of the Rhode Island House of Representatives Republican Party Rhode Island state senators Rhode Island lawyers Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Rhode Island Providence City Council members United States Attorneys for the District of Rhode Island 19th-century American lawyers