Thomas Jefferson Lilly represented West Virginia in the Sixty-eighth United States Congress. He was the son of Joseph L Lilly and Martha Jane Cox.

Thomas Lilly had a long career of service for his community and country. He was born in Dunns, Mercer County

Mercer County, West Virginia

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, West Virginia

West Virginia

West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...

, and began teaching in the rural schools of Mercer County while also tending to the family farm. He was elected Justice of the Peace and served from 1902 to 1906. After completing his term, he attended McKinley University in Chicago

Chicago

Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...

, Illinois

Illinois

Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...

, graduating with a degree in Law in 1911. He was admitted to the bar in West Virginia the same year and started practicing in Hinton, West Virginia

Hinton, West Virginia

Hinton is a city in Summers County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 2,880 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Summers County. Hinton was established in 1873 and chartered in 1897. Hinton was named for John "Jack" Hinton, a prominent lawyer of Summers County and husband of...

.

After spending a few years practicing law, he went back to working for the local government as both the State Commissionar of Accounts (1914–1927) and the Divorce Commissioner of Summers County (1914–1922). He ran for Congress after completing these commissions and sat as a Democratic

Democratic Party (United States)

The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...

 Representative in the 68th Congress of the United States from March 4, 1923 to March 3, 1925. His reelection attempt in 1924 failed.

Thomas returned to his law practice until his death in 1956 in Sweet Springs, West Virginia

Sweet Springs, West Virginia

Sweet Springs is an unincorporated town in Monroe County in the U.S. state of West Virginia. Sweet Springs lies at the intersection of West Virginia Route 3 and West Virginia Route 311. The community is known for its Old Sweet Springs resort and spa, listed on the National Register of Historic Places...

. He is buried in Restwood Memorial Cemetery, Hinton, West Virginia.