Waitman T. Willey

The Honorable Waitman T. Willey
United States Senator from Virginia
In office July 9, 1861 – March 4, 1863
Preceded by	James M. Mason
Succeeded by	Lemuel J. Bowden
United States Senator from West Virginia
In office August 4, 1863 – March 4, 1871
Preceded by	(none)
Succeeded by	Henry G. Davis
Personal details
Born	(1811-10-18)October 18, 1811 Marion County, West Virginia (now West Virginia)
Died	Morgantown, West Virginia
Political party	Unionist, Republican

Waitman Thomas Willey (October 18, 1811 – May 2, 1900) was an American lawyer and politician from Morgantown, West Virginia. He represented both the states of Virginia and West Virginia in the United States Senate and was one of West Virginia's first two Senators.

Biography

Willey was born in 1811, in a log cabin near the present day Farmington, West Virginia. He graduated from Madison College (later Allegheny College) at Uniontown, Pennsylvania, and settled at Morgantown in 1833. He built the Waitman T. Willey House in 1839-1840; it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. From 1841 to 1852 he served as Clerk of the County Court of Monongalia County and in 1852 was the Whig candidate for Congress. He was a member of the Virginia Secession Convention in 1861. He became an activist at the First Wheeling Convention for West Virginia statehood. The "Restored Government of Virginia" elected him to the U.S. Senate to fill the vacancy of Senator James M. Mason. He was later elected to serve as one of the first two U. S. Senators from West Virginia (1863–1871). On May 29, 1862, Willey presented the petition to Congress for the creation of West Virginia.

External links

• Waitman T. Willey in Encyclopedia Virginia
• biographic sketch at U.S. Congress website

United States Senate
Preceded by James M. Mason	U.S. Senator (Class 1) from Virginia July 9, 1861 – March 4, 1863 Served alongside: John S. Carlile	Succeeded by Lemuel J. Bowden
Preceded by None	U.S. Senator (Class 2) from West Virginia August 4, 1863 – March 4, 1871 Served alongside: Peter G. Van Winkle and Arthur I. Boreman	Succeeded by Henry G. Davis