William Price Elmer (March 2, 1871 – May 11, 1956) 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

Missouri Missouri is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee ...

. Born in

Robertsville, Missouri Robertsville is an unincorporated community in eastern Franklin County, Missouri, United States. It is located approximately six miles (10 km) southwest of Pacific on Missouri Route O A supplemental route is a state secondary road in the U ...

to William J. and Sarah (Wagoner) Elmer, the family moved to Salem, Missouri in 1875. Elmer attended the public schools and Wingo Law School in Salem, Missouri. He was admitted to the bar in 1892 and commenced practice in Salem, Missouri which is the county seat of Dent County. He served as prosecuting attorney for Dent County, Missouri, in 1895 and 1896 and again in 1905 and 1906. He served as member of the State house of representatives in 1903, 1904, 1921, 1922, and 1929–1933, including the position of temporary speaker and floor leader in 1929. Elmer served as city attorney of Salem, Missouri from 1920 to 1930. He served as delegate or alternate to the Republican National Conventions in 1904, 1908, 1912, and 1920. He served as chairman of the Republican county committee 1908–1944. He served as member of the 1929 commission to revise Missouri laws. He was an unsuccessful candidate for Lieutenant Governor in 1940. Elmer was elected as a Republican to the

Seventy-eighth Congress The 78th 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 January 3, 1943, ...

(January 3, 1943 – January 3, 1945). He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1944 to the Seventy-ninth Congress. He was an unsuccessful candidate for the Republican nomination for

United States Senator The United States Senate is the Upper house, upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States House of Representatives, House of Representatives being the Lower house, lower chamber. Together they compose the national Bica ...

in 1946. He resumed the practice of law. He served as director of First National Bank of Salem. He served as member of board of curators of

University of Missouri The University of Missouri (Mizzou, MU, or Missouri) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Columbia, Missouri. It is Missouri's largest university and the flagship of the four-campus Universit ...

1949–1955. He wrote a popular series in the Salem News on "History of Dent County." W P Elmer Home and Dent County Museum

Elmer married Amie Adelmann on December 9, 1896. She was the daughter of Franz and Frances (Duckworth) Adelmann. W. P. and Amie Elmer had nine children: William Doss Elmer, Victorene Dale Elmer, McVeigh Adelmann Elmer, Billie Ruth Elmer, Vivian Katrina Elmer, Helen Willene Elmer, Amelia Imogene Elmer, Lucille Elmer, and Dorothy Elizabeth Elmer. He died in Salem, Missouri, May 11, 1956. He was interred in Cedar Grove Cemetery in Salem, Missouri. His home from 1906 until his death was converted into the Dent County Museum.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Elmer, William Price 1871 births 1956 deaths 20th-century American politicians University of Missouri curators Republican Party members of the Missouri House of Representatives Missouri lawyers Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Missouri People from Franklin County, Missouri People from Salem, Missouri