William Robertson McKenney (December 2, 1851 – January 3, 1916) was a lawyer and

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

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

Biography

Born in

Petersburg, Virginia Petersburg is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 33,458. The Bureau of Economic Analysis combines Petersburg (along with the city of Colonial Heights) with Din ...

, Mckenney was the son of Robert Armstrong and Virginia Bland Robertson McKenney. He attended McCabe's University School at Petersburg and the

University of Virginia at Charlottesville The University of Virginia (UVA) is a public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia. Founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson, the university is ranked among the top academic institutions in the United States, with highly selective adm ...

. He taught school. He graduated from the law school of the

University of Virginia The University of Virginia (UVA) is a Public university#United States, public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia. Founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson, the university is ranked among the top academic institutions in the United S ...

in June 1876. He was admitted to the bar and practiced in

. On December 2, 1878, McKenney married Clara J. Pickrell. Among their children were, Anne Pickrell, William Robertson, Clara Justine, and Virginia Spotswood. McKenney was elected president of the city council of Petersburg in 1888 and served six years. He served as delegate to the Democratic National Convention in 1892. He served as member of the Democratic State executive committee, and presented credentials 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 ...

ic Member-elect to the Fifty-fourth Congress and served from March 4, 1895, to May 2, 1896, when he was succeeded by Robert T. Thorp, who successfully contested his election. He resumed the practice of law in Petersburg, Virginia. Unlike many alumni, McKenney supported the establishment of a co-ordinate college for women at the University of Virginia. William Robertson McKenney died in Petersburg on January 3, 1916. He was interred in

Blandford Cemetery Blandford Cemetery is a historic cemetery located in Petersburg, Virginia. The oldest stone, marking the grave of Richard Yarbrough, reads 1702. It is located adjacent to the People's Memorial Cemetery, a historic African-American cemetery. Alt ...

. In 1923, Clara J. McKenney deeded property to the city of Petersburg for a public library that would serve as memorial to her husband, William R. McKenney. The basement of the building was designated for Black citizens, and the upper floors for Whites. In February and March 1960, the segregated library facilities became the site of civil rights protests at which the Rev.

Wyatt Tee Walker Wyatt Tee Walker (August 16, 1928 – January 23, 2018) was an African-American pastor, national civil rights leader, theologian, and cultural historian. He was a chief of staff for Martin Luther King Jr., and in 1958 became an early board membe ...

, the Rev. R. G. Williams, Mrs. Cassie L. Walker and a number of college and high school students were arrested. William and Clara McKenney's daughter, Virginia McKenney Claiborne, wrote two letters to Mayor Walter Edens urging the city council to desegregate the library. The effort was ultimately successful, and the William R. McKenney library became the first integrated public building in Petersburg. In late 2021, plans were announced to transform the building into an African American history museum.

Electoral history

*1894; McKenney was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives with 48.05% of the vote, defeating Republican Robert Taylor Thorp, Independents J. Haskins Hobson and Lee Thornton, and Populist B.R. Horner; however, Thorp successfully contested the results and was seated.

Sources

{{DEFAULTSORT:McKenney, William Robertson 1851 births 1916 deaths Virginia lawyers University of Virginia School of Law alumni Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Virginia 19th-century American politicians Burials at Blandford Cemetery 19th-century American lawyers