Jessie Sumner
American politician (1898–1994)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jessie Sumner (July 17, 1898 – August 10, 1994) was an American attorney and banker from Illinois. A Republican, she served as a U.S. Representative from 1939 to 1947.
Jessie Sumner | |
|---|---|
| |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Illinois's 18th district | |
| In office January 3, 1939 – January 3, 1947 | |
| Preceded by | James A. Meeks |
| Succeeded by | Edward H. Jenison |
| Judge of Iroquois County, Illinois | |
| In office December 8, 1937 – December 5, 1938 | |
| Preceded by | John H. Gillan |
| Succeeded by | Stephen C. Malo |
| Personal details | |
| Born | July 17, 1898 Milford, Illinois, U.S. |
| Died | August 10, 1994 (aged 96) Watseka, Illinois, U.S. |
| Resting place | Maple Grove Cemetery, Milford, Illinois, U.S. |
| Party | Republican |
| Alma mater | Smith College |
| Occupation | Attorney Bank president |
Early life
Jessie Sumner was born in Milford, Illinois on July 17, 1898, the daughter of Aaron Taylor Sumner and Jeannette Elizabeth (Gillan) Sumner.[1][2] She attended the public schools of Milford and in 1916 she graduated from the Girton School in Winnetka, Illinois.[3] She then attended Northampton, Massachusetts's Smith College, from which she graduated in 1920 with a AB degree in economics.[4]
After college, Sumner studied law at the University of Chicago Law School, Columbia University, and Oxford University.[3] She also studied briefly at the University of Wisconsin–Madison and the New York University School of Commerce in New York City.[5] She was admitted to the bar in 1923 and practiced in Chicago, Illinois.[3] In 1928, Sumner moved to New York City, where she was employed on the legal staff of the Chase National Bank.[3] She returned to Milford, Illinois in 1932, resumed the practice of law, and was an unsuccessful Republican candidate for Iroquois County district attorney.[3][5] Sumner also served as director of Sumner National Bank in Sheldon, of which her father was president.[1][5]
Later career
In December 1937, Sumner won a special election for judge of Iroquois County, filling the vacancy left by the death of her uncle John H. Gillan.[6] She served until December 1938, when she resigned in preparation to assume her seat in the United States House of Representatives.[7] In 1938, Sumner was elected to the U.S. House; she was reelected three times and served from January 3, 1939 to January 3, 1947, the 76th, 77th, 78th Congresses.[5] During her congressional service, Sumner was known for her opposition to the presidency of Franklin D. Roosevelt.[1] She was also an isolationist before World War II and opposed expansion of the navy and continuation of the pre-war draft.[1] After the war, Sumner opposed the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration's efforts to rebuild Europe and Asia.[1] She was not a candidate for renomination in 1946, and returned to her Illinois legal and banking interests.[5]
After the end of her congressional term, Sumner resumed her position at Sumner National Bank, where she had been appointed as vice president in 1938.[1] Following the death of her father, in 1966 she succeeded him as the bank's president, and she served until her death.[1] She also managed her family's other business interests, including an insurance company, grain elevators and farms.[1] Sumner died in Watseka, Illinois, on August 10, 1994.[1] She was buried at Maple Grove Cemetery in Milford.[8]
