Wells Goodykoontz (June 3, 1872 – March 2, 1944) was 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 ...

politician A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking, a ...

from the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sover ...

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 ...

who served in the

West Virginia Legislature The West Virginia Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of West Virginia. A bicameral legislative body, the legislature is split between the upper Senate and the lower House of Delegates. It was established under Article VI o ...

representing

Mingo County Mingo County is a county in the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 23,568. Its county seat and largest city is Williamson. Created in 1895, Mingo is West Virginia's newest county, named for the historic Iroq ...

. He was President of the

West Virginia Senate The West Virginia Senate is the upper house of the West Virginia Legislature. There are seventeen senatorial districts. Each district has two senators who serve staggered four-year terms. Although the Democratic Party held a supermajority in the ...

from 1917 to 1919, and a Member of the

U.S. 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 chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

from the now-defunct 5th congressional district of West Virginia. He served during the 66th and 67th United States Congresses. Goodykoontz was born near

Newbern, Virginia Newbern is an unincorporated community in Pulaski County, in the U.S. state of Virginia. From 1839 until the court house burned in 1892, Newbern was the county seat of Pulaski County A large share of the early settlers being natives of Switzerla ...

in Pulaski County on June 3, 1872. He was educated under private tutors and attended Oxford Academy at

Floyd, Virginia Floyd is a town in Floyd County, Virginia, United States. The population was 425 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Floyd County. The Town of Floyd was originally named Jacksonville as the surrounding county was formed during the tenur ...

and

Washington and Lee University School of Law The Washington and Lee University School of Law (W&L Law) is the professional graduate law school of Washington and Lee University. It is a private American Bar Association-accredited law school located in Lexington in the Shenandoah Valley reg ...

. He was admitted to the

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in 1893 and began practicing law at

Williamson, West Virginia Williamson is a city in Mingo County, West Virginia, United States, situated along the Tug Fork River. The population was 3,191 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Mingo County, and is the county's largest and most populous city. Willia ...

in 1894. He also worked in banking. He served as a member of the

West Virginia House of Delegates The West Virginia House of Delegates is the lower house of the West Virginia Legislature. Only three states—Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia—refer to their lower house as the House of Delegates. Organization Regular sessions begin with ...

in 1911 and 1912. He then served as a member of the State Senate from 1914 to 1918. He was President of the Senate and Lieutenant Governor (ex officio) from 1917 until December 1, 1918. He served as president of the West Virginia Bar Association in 1917 and 1918. He chaired the central legal advisory board for West Virginia during the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. In 1918, he won election as a Republican to the Sixty-sixth Congress and in 1920, won re-election to the Sixty-seventh Congress (March 4, 1919 – March 3, 1923). His candidacy for re-election in 1922 to the Sixty-eighth Congress was unsuccessful. He returned to his law practice and banking interests in Williamson as well as becoming a writer. He died in

Cincinnati Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line wit ...

on March 2, 1944. He was buried at Fairview Cemetery in Williamson.

Sources

People from Williamson, West Virginia People from Pulaski County, Virginia West Virginia lawyers 1872 births 1944 deaths 19th-century American lawyers 20th-century American lawyers Presidents of the West Virginia State Senate Republican Party West Virginia state senators Republican Party members of the West Virginia House of Delegates Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from West Virginia 20th-century American politicians {{US-Congress-stub