Frank B. Willis

Frank B. Willis
47th Governor of Ohio
In office January 11, 1915 – January 8, 1917
Lieutenant	John Holmes Arnold
Preceded by	James M. Cox
Succeeded by	James M. Cox
United States Senator from Ohio
In office January 14, 1921 – March 30, 1928
Preceded by	Warren G. Harding
Succeeded by	Cyrus Locher
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Ohio's 8th district
In office March 4, 1911 – January 9, 1915
Preceded by	Ralph D. Cole
Succeeded by	John A. Key
Member of the Ohio House of Representatives from the Hardin County district
In office January 1, 1900 – January 3, 1905
Preceded by	N. R. Piper
Succeeded by	J. B. Pumphrey
Personal details
Born	Frank Bartlett Willis (1871-12-28)December 28, 1871 Lewis Center, Ohio
Died	March 30, 1928(1928-03-30) (aged 56) Delaware, Ohio
Resting place	Oak Grove Cemetery, Delaware, Ohio
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Allie Dustin
Children	1
Education	Ohio Northern University (BA)

Frank Bartlett Willis (December 28, 1871 – March 30, 1928) was an American politician and lawyer. He was a Republican from Ohio. He served as the 47th governor of Ohio from 1915 to 1917, then served as a U.S. Senator from Ohio from 1921 until his death in 1928.

Biography

Born on a farm near the hamlet of Lewis Center, Ohio, Willis was the son of a Civil War veteran, Vermont-born J.B. Willis and his wife Lavinia A. (Buell). Willis graduated from Ohio Northern University in 1894. After teaching at Ohio Northern for twelve years, Willis was admitted to the bar and began practicing law. He served in the Ohio House of Representatives from 1900 to 1904 while teaching at Ohio Northern school of law, and was subsequently elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1910, serving from 1911 to 1915. Elected to the governorship in 1914, he served one two-year term from 1915 to 1917, but was not re-elected, being defeated by James M. Cox, whom he had defeated in 1914. Cox also defeated Willis in 1918.

After placing Warren Harding's name in nomination at the 1920 Republican National Convention, Willis was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1920, replacing Harding, who then resigned his Senate seat to take the presidency, allowing Willis to take his seat early. During his Senate tenure, Willis served as Chairman of the Senate Committee on Territories and Insular Possessions, which had jurisdiction over territories including Alaska, Hawaii, the Philippines, and Puerto Rico, from 1923 to 1928.

Willis wanted to be Ohio's favorite son candidate for the presidency in 1928.^[1] He died in office that year at Gray Chapel, Ohio Wesleyan University, in Delaware, Ohio, during a Republican Party event for his candidacy organized by the Delaware County Willis-for-President Club. He was buried at Oak Grove Cemetery.

Legacy

Willis's official papers were donated to and are open for research at the Ohio History Center.

Frank B. Willis Education Center (formerly Intermediate School and High School) of Delaware City Schools is named in his honor.

Willis was married to Allie Dustin, and they had one daughter named Helen.^[2]

See also

• List of United States Congress members who died in office (1900–49)

References

External links

• Media related to Frank B. Willis at Wikimedia Commons
• United States Congress. "Frank B. Willis (id: W000561)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.