Francis R. Lassiter

Francis Rives Lassiter
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Virginia's 4th district
In office March 4, 1907 – October 31, 1909
Preceded by	Robert G. Southall
Succeeded by	Robert Turnbull
In office April 19, 1900 – March 3, 1903
Preceded by	Sydney P. Epes
Succeeded by	Robert G. Southall
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia
In office 1893 – 1896
Appointed by	Grover Cleveland
Personal details
Born	(1866-02-18)February 18, 1866 Petersburg, Virginia
Died	October 31, 1909(1909-10-31) (aged 43) Petersburg, Virginia
Resting place	Blanford Cemetery, Petersburg, Virginia
Political party	Democratic
Alma mater	University of Virginia
Profession	lawyer
Military service
Service/branch	Virginia State Militia
Rank	Captain
Unit	Fourth Infantry Regiment

Francis Rives Lassiter (February 18, 1866 – October 31, 1909) was a U.S. Representative from Virginia, great-nephew of Francis Everod Rives.

Biography

Born in Petersburg, Virginia, Lassiter attended McCabe's University School at Petersburg and was graduated from the law department of the University of Virginia at Charlottesville in 1886. He was admitted to the bar in 1887 and commenced practice in Boston, Massachusetts. He returned to Petersburg, Virginia, in 1888 and continued the practice of law. He became the City attorney of Petersburg from 1888-1893. Lassiter was appointed by President Grover Cleveland to be United States attorney for the eastern district of Virginia in 1893 and served until 1896, when he resigned. He served as captain of Company G, Fourth Regiment, Virginia State Militia. He was appointed supervisor of the Twelfth Census for the Fourth Congressional District of Virginia in 1899.

Lassiter was elected as a Democrat to the Fifty-sixth Congress to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Sydney P. Epes. He was reelected to the Fifty-seventh Congress and served from April 19, 1900, to March 3, 1903.

Lassiter was elected to the Sixtieth and Sixty-first Congresses and served from March 4, 1907, until his death in Petersburg, Virginia, October 31, 1909. He is interred in Blanford Cemetery. His family papers are held by the Special Collections Research Center at the College of William & Mary.^[1]

Electoral history

• 1900; Lassiter was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives with 98.65% of the vote in a special election, defeating Republican James S. Cowden; he was re-elected with 60.06% of the vote in the general election, defeating Republican C.E. Wilson.

• 1906; Lassiter was re-elected unopposed.

• 1908; Lassiter was re-elected unopposed.

References

• Francis R. Lassiter at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress

External links

• Finding aid for the Lassiter Papers