Oscar Lovette

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Oscar Lovette (December 20, 1871 – July 6, 1934) was a United States Representative from Tennessee.

Lovette was born in Greeneville, Tennessee and was graduated from Parrottsville High School, and, in 1893, from Tusculum College. In 1894 he was elected to the Tennessee House of Representatives, serving from 1895 to 1897. During this period he studied law at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, and was admitted to the bar in 1896. A Republican, he was elected District Attorney for the former 1st Judicial District in his native East Tennessee, then as now a predominantly-Republican area, in 1918, serving until 1926.

In 1930, Lovette sought the Republican nomination for United States Representative from the 1st Congressional District against incumbent Carroll Reece and defeated him in the Republican primary in August, which was tantamount to election. Lovette won the general election in November of 1930 without any serious opposition and served in the 72nd Congress. However, in 1932 Reece sought to return to his former seat and defeated Lovette for renomination. Lovette then contested the November election as an Independent, a practice then permissible under Tennessee law, but was again defeated by Reece. Lovette then resumed the practice of law until his death.

This article incorporates facts obtained from the public domain Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.