Frank B. Willis

Frank Bartlett Willis
47th Governor of Ohio
In office January 11, 1915 – January 8, 1917
Lieutenant	John H. Arnold
Preceded by	James M. Cox
Succeeded by	James M. Cox
United States Senator from Ohio
In office March 4, 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	(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(s)	Allie Dustin
Children	one

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Frank Bartlett Willis (December 28, 1871 – March 30, 1928) was a Republican politician from Ohio. He served as the 47th Governor of Ohio.

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 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 died in office in 1928 at Gray Chapel, Ohio Wesleyan University, in Delaware, Ohio, during a Republican Party event involving a "favorite son" presidential bid for Willis organized by the Delaware County Willis-for-President Club. He was buried at Oak Grove Cemetery. Willis's official papers were donated to and are open for research at the Ohio Historical Society.

Frank B. Willis Intermediate School (formally High School) of Delaware City Schools is named in his honor.

Willis was married to Allie Dustin, and they had one daughter named Helen.^[1]

References

External links

• Frank B. Willis at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress

v t e Governors and Lieutenant Governors of Ohio Governors Tiffin Kirker Huntington Meigs Looker Worthington E. Brown Trimble Morrow Trimble McArthur Lucas Vance Shannon Corwin Shannon T. Bartley M. Bartley Bebb Ford Wood Medill Chase Dennison Tod Brough Anderson J. D. Cox Hayes Noyes Allen Hayes Young Bishop Foster Hoadly Foraker Campbell McKinley Bushnell Nash Herrick Pattison Harris Harmon J. M. Cox Willis J. M. Cox Davis Donahey Cooper White Davey Bricker Lausche Herbert Lausche J. Brown O'Neill DiSalle Rhodes Gilligan Rhodes Celeste Voinovich Hollister Taft Strickland Kasich Lieutenant Governors Medill Myers Ford Welker Kirk Stanton Anderson McBurney Lee Mueller Hart Young Curtiss Fitch Hickenlooper Richards Warwick Kennedy Conrad Lyon Lampson Marquis Harris Jones Caldwell Nippert Gordon Harding Harris Treadway Pomerene Nichols Greenlund Arnold Bloom C. Brown Bloom Lewis Bloom Pickrel Braden J. T. Brown Pickrel Sawyer Mosier Yoder Herbert Nye Herbert Nye J. W. Brown Herbert Donahey J. W. Brown Celeste Voinovich Shoemaker Leonard DeWine Hollister O'Connor Bradley Johnson Fisher Taylor

v t e United States Senators from Ohio Class 1 John Smith Meigs Worthington Kerr Ruggles Morris Tappan Corwin Ewing Wade Thurman Sherman Hanna Dick Pomerene Fess Donahey H. Burton Huffman K. Taft Bricker Young R. Taft, Jr. Metzenbaum DeWine S. Brown Class 3 Worthington Tiffin Griswold Campbell Morrow Trimble E. Brown Harrison Burnet Ewing Allen Chase Pugh Chase Sherman Matthews Pendleton Payne Brice Foraker T. Burton Harding Willis Locher T. Burton McCulloch Bulkley R. Taft, Sr. Burke Bender Lausche Saxbe Metzenbaum Glenn Voinovich Portman

v t e Ohio's 8th congressional district Wilson Stanbery Mclene Ridgway Vanmeter Thurman Taylor Corwin Stanton Shellabarger Johnston Hubbell Hamilton Beatty Lawrence Keifer Finley Keifer Little Kennedy Hare Strong Lybrand Warnock Ralph D. Cole Willis Key R. Clint Cole Fletcher Mouser Fletcher Smith Betts Powell Kindness Lukens Boehner Other Ohio Districts: 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 Other