George P. Lawrence
Encyclopedia
George Pelton Lawrence (May 19, 1859 – November 21, 1917) was a United States Representative from Massachusetts
.
Born in Adams, Massachusetts
, Lawrence graduated from Drury Academy in 1876 and from Amherst College
in 1880. He studied law at the Columbia Law School
, was admitted to the bar
in 1883 and commenced practice in North Adams
. Lawrence was appointed judge of the judicial district of northern Berkshire, County
in 1885. Lawrence resigned his judgeship in 1894 upon being elected to the Massachusetts Senate
. He served in the senate
from 1895 to 1897 and was its President
, in 1896 and 1897.
to the Fifty-fifth Congress to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Ashley B. Wright
; he was reelected to the Fifty-sixth and to the six succeeding Congresses and served from November 2, 1897, to March 3, 1913. While in Congress Lawrence was chairman of the Committee on Expenditures in the Department of War (Fifty-ninth through Sixty-first Congresses).
.
; interment was in Hillside Cemetery, North Adams.
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
.
Born in Adams, Massachusetts
Adams, Massachusetts
Adams is a town in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 8,485 at the 2010 census.-History:...
, Lawrence graduated from Drury Academy in 1876 and from Amherst College
Amherst College
Amherst College is a private liberal arts college located in Amherst, Massachusetts, United States. Amherst is an exclusively undergraduate four-year institution and enrolled 1,744 students in the fall of 2009...
in 1880. He studied law at the Columbia Law School
Columbia Law School
Columbia Law School, founded in 1858, is one of the oldest and most prestigious law schools in the United States. A member of the Ivy League, Columbia Law School is one of the professional graduate schools of Columbia University in New York City. It offers the J.D., LL.M., and J.S.D. degrees in...
, was admitted to the bar
Bar (law)
Bar in a legal context has three possible meanings: the division of a courtroom between its working and public areas; the process of qualifying to practice law; and the legal profession.-Courtroom division:...
in 1883 and commenced practice in North Adams
North Adams, Massachusetts
North Adams is a city in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 13,708 as of the 2010 census, making it the least populous city in the state...
. Lawrence was appointed judge of the judicial district of northern Berkshire, County
Berkshire County, Massachusetts
Berkshire County is a non-governmental county located on the western edge of the U.S. state of Massachusetts. As of the 2010 census, the population was 131,219. Its largest city and traditional county seat is Pittsfield...
in 1885. Lawrence resigned his judgeship in 1894 upon being elected to the Massachusetts Senate
Massachusetts Senate
The Massachusetts Senate is the upper house of the Massachusetts General Court, the bicameral state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The Senate comprises 40 elected members from 40 single-member senatorial districts in the state...
. He served in the senate
Massachusetts Senate
The Massachusetts Senate is the upper house of the Massachusetts General Court, the bicameral state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The Senate comprises 40 elected members from 40 single-member senatorial districts in the state...
from 1895 to 1897 and was its President
President of the Massachusetts Senate
The President of the Massachusetts Senate is the presiding officer. In the United States Congress, the Vice President of the United States is the ex officio President of the United States Senate. In Massachusetts, however, the President of the Senate is elected from and by the Senators...
, in 1896 and 1897.
Congressional service
Lawrence was elected as a RepublicanRepublican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
to the Fifty-fifth Congress to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Ashley B. Wright
Ashley B. Wright
Ashley Bascom Wright was an American politician. He was the chairman of the Committee on Mileage in the fifty-fourth and fifty-fifth congresses....
; he was reelected to the Fifty-sixth and to the six succeeding Congresses and served from November 2, 1897, to March 3, 1913. While in Congress Lawrence was chairman of the Committee on Expenditures in the Department of War (Fifty-ninth through Sixty-first Congresses).
Post Congressional career
Lawrence was not a candidate for renomination in 1912, and from July 1 to September 17, 1913 was a member of the Massachusetts Public Service CommissionPublic Utilities Commission
A Utilities commission, Utility Regulatory Commission , Public Utilities Commission or Public Service Commission is a governing body that regulates the rates and services of a public utility...
.
Death
Lawrence jumped from an eighth-floor window and fell to his death, at the Belmont Hotel, Atlantic City, New JerseyAtlantic City, New Jersey
Atlantic City is a city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States, and a nationally renowned resort city for gambling, shopping and fine dining. The city also served as the inspiration for the American version of the board game Monopoly. Atlantic City is located on Absecon Island on the coast...
; interment was in Hillside Cemetery, North Adams.