William Allan Oldfield (February 4, 1874 – November 19, 1928) was an American lawyer and politician who served as 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 Arkansas from 1909 until his death.

Early life

Born in

Franklin, Arkansas Franklin is a town in Izard County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 198 at the 2010 census. Geography Franklin is located in northeastern Izard County at (36.175324, -91.766494). According to the United States Census Bureau, the tow ...

, Oldfield was the son of blacksmith Milton Oldfield and his wife, Mary Ann (Matheny) Oldfield. He attended the public schools of Franklin and graduated from

Melbourne High School Melbourne High School is a government-funded single-sex academically selective secondary day school for boys, located in the Melbourne suburb of South Yarra, Victoria, Australia. Established in 1905, the school caters for boys from Year 9 t ...

in 1892. He began attendance at Arkansas College in Batesville. He graduated in 1896 and became a school teacher and principal in

Richmond, Arkansas Richmond is an unincorporated community in Little River County, Arkansas, United States. Richmond prospered as a commercial and political center during the late 1800s. History The area was explored by Jean-Baptiste Bénard de la Harpe, who is ...

, while also studying law.

Military service

In 1898, Oldfield enlisted for 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 ...

as a

private Private or privates may refer to: Music * " In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation'' * Private (band), a Denmark-based band * "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorde ...

in Company M, 2nd Arkansas Infantry Regiment. He was promoted to first sergeant before receiving a commission as a

first lieutenant First lieutenant is a commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces; in some forces, it is an appointment. The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations, but in most forces it is sub-divided into a s ...

, and he was mustered out in March 1899.

Career

After returning home, Oldfield graduated from

Cumberland University Cumberland University is a private university in Lebanon, Tennessee. It was founded in 1842. The campus's current historic buildings were constructed between 1892 and 1896. History 1842-1861 The university was founded by the Cumberland ...

's law school in

Lebanon Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Syria to the north and east and Israel to the south, while Cyprus li ...

Tennessee Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to th ...

, in 1900, attained

admission 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 ...

, and commenced practice in Batesville. 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 ...

, he was prosecuting attorney of Independence County from 1902 to 1906. In 1906, Oldfield was an unsuccessful candidate for the U.S. House.

Congressman

In 1908, Oldfield won election to the

61st Congress The 61st 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., Washington, DC from ...

. He was reelected ten times and served from March 4, 1909, until his death. Oldfield was chairman of the Committee on Patents in the 62nd and 63rd Congresses, and Minority

Whip A whip is a tool or weapon designed to strike humans or other animals to exert control through pain compliance or fear of pain. They can also be used without inflicting pain, for audiovisual cues, such as in equestrianism. They are generally e ...

from the 67th through 70th Congress. In addition, he served on the Ways and Means Committee and served as chairman of the

Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) is the United States Democratic Party, Democratic Hill committee for the United States House of Representatives, working to elect Democrats to that body. The DCCC recruits candidates, raises ...

. Oldfield won reelection to the

71st Congress The 71st United States Congress was a meeting of the United States Congress, legislature 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. f ...

in 1928, but died before the term started in March 1929. He was succeeded in Congress by his wife Pearl P. Oldfield.

Death and burial

Oldfield died in Washington, D.C. on November 19, 1928. He was buried at Oak Lawn Cemetery in Batesville.

Family

In 1901, Oldfield married Fannie Pearl Peden. They were married until his death, and had no children.

References

Sources

Internet

Books

* *

External links

*
William Allan Oldfield
at The Political Graveyard 1874 births 1928 deaths Lyon College alumni Cumberland School of Law alumni American military personnel of the Spanish–American War District attorneys in Arkansas Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Arkansas Burials in Arkansas United States Army officers {{Arkansas-politician-stub