William Olin Burgin (July 28, 1877 – April 11, 1946) 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

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and ...

. Born on a farm near

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McDowell County, North Carolina McDowell County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 44,578. Its county seat is Marion. McDowell County comprises the Marion, NC Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is also inclu ...

, Burgin moved with his parents to

Rutherfordton, North Carolina Rutherfordton (usually pronounced ( ) or ( ), among other similar variations) is a town in Rutherford County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 4,213 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat. Geography Rutherfordton is concentrat ...

, where he attended the public schools and Rutherfordton Military Institute. He also attended the Law School of the

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States ...

. He engaged as a clerk in a general store in Rutherfordton in 1893 and later as a traveling salesman and merchant. He moved to Thomasville and engaged in the mercantile business. He was admitted to the bar. He served as mayor of

Thomasville, North Carolina Thomasville is a city in Davidson County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 27,183 at the 2020 census. The city was once notable for its furniture industry, as were its neighbors High Point and Lexington. This Piedmont Triad commu ...

, from 1906 to 1910. He moved to

Lexington, North Carolina Lexington is the county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term ...

, and continued the practice of law. He served as president and attorney of the Industrial Bank of Lexington. He served as director in a number of business enterprises in Lexington. He served in the State house of representatives in 1931. He served as member of the State senate in 1933. Burgin 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 Seventy-sixth and to the three succeeding Congresses and served from January 3, 1939, until his death in

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, on April 11, 1946. He was interred in Lexington Cemetery,

. A confidential 1943 analysis of the

House Foreign Affairs Committee The United States House Committee on Foreign Affairs, also known as the House Foreign Affairs Committee, is a standing committee of the U.S. House of Representatives with jurisdiction over bills and investigations concerning the foreign affairs o ...

by Isaiah Berlin for the British Foreign Office described Burgin as "a meek, mild, homely figure who seldom makes his presence felt, but who has voted regularly for the President's foreign policy measures. A typical southern Democrat."

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Burgin, William Olin 1877 births 1946 deaths Mayors of places in North Carolina University of North Carolina School of Law alumni Democratic Party members of the North Carolina House of Representatives Democratic Party North Carolina state senators Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from North Carolina People from Thomasville, North Carolina Businesspeople from North Carolina North Carolina lawyers

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