William Pinckney McLean (August 9, 1836 – March 13, 1925) was a
United States 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 ...
from
Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...
.
Biography
Born in
Copiah County, Mississippi, McLean moved with his mother to
Marshall, Texas
Marshall is a city in the U.S. state of Texas. It is the county seat of Harrison County, Texas, Harrison County and a cultural and educational center of the Ark-La-Tex region. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. census, the population of M ...
, in 1839.
He attended private schools and was graduated from the law department 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 ...
in 1857 and was
admitted to the bar the next year. McLean commenced the practice of his profession at
Jefferson, Texas.
He became a member of the
Texas House of Representatives
The Texas House of Representatives is the lower house of the bicameral Texas Legislature. It consists of 150 members who are elected from single-member districts for two-year terms. As of the 2010 United States census, each member represents abou ...
in 1861. McLean resigned to enter the
Confederate States Army
The Confederate States Army, also called the Confederate Army or the Southern Army, was the military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) during the American Civil War (1861–1865), fighting ...
as a private of the
19th Texas Infantry Regiment
The 19th Texas Infantry Regiment was a unit of volunteers recruited in Texas that fought in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. The regiment began organizing in February 1862 and elected its officers in May 1862. It spent it ...
, in the third brigade of
Walker's Texas Division.
He was promoted to captain and then major, and served throughout the
Civil War
A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country).
The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...
.
In 1869, he was elected again as a state representative.
McLean 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
43rd United States Congress
The 43rd United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch 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. from March 4, 1873, ...
. He was not a candidate for renomination in 1874 and resumed the practice of law in
Mount Pleasant, Texas. In 1875, he was a member of the State constitutional convention.
McLean was elected judge of the fifth judicial district in 1884, but declined to be a candidate for reelection. He was appointed by
Governor Hogg as a member of the first State railroad commission in 1891.
After leaving office, McLean moved to
Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth is the fifth-largest city in the U.S. state of Texas and the 13th-largest city in the United States. It is the county seat of Tarrant County, covering nearly into four other counties: Denton, Johnson, Parker, and Wise. According ...
and resumed the practice of his profession.
He died in Fort Worth on March 13, 1925.
References
Sources
{{DEFAULTSORT:McLean, William P.
1836 births
1925 deaths
Confederate States Army officers
Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Texas
Democratic Party members of the Texas House of Representatives
People from Copiah County, Mississippi
People from Marshall, Texas
People from Jefferson, Texas
People from Mount Pleasant, Texas
Politicians from Fort Worth, Texas
Military personnel from Texas
Members of the Railroad Commission of Texas