|
Muscogee County, GA
Biographies
CHAMBERS, WILLIAM LEA, lawyer, was born March 4, 1852, in Columbus, Muscogee County, Ga.; a son of William Henry
and Anna Lane (Flewellen) Chambers (q. v.), who In 1854 removed to Eufaula. Ala., where he began his education,
his first teachers being a Miss Slnkfleld; followed by his uncle, Robert Alexander Chambers, who was killed In
the battle of Rome, Ga.; Prof. Patterson; and Capt. S. H. Dent. He attended Emory College, Oxford, Ga., 1869-71,
leaving a few months before graduation to teach school: subsequently he received the degree of A. B.; and the honorary
degree of LL. D. In 1909. His legal education was acquired in the office of Stone & Clopton at Montgomery,
both of whom served on the supreme court bench.
Mr. Chambers began practice in Montgomery, In November, 1873. and continued there until May, 1888, as a member
of the firm of Clopton, Herbert & Chambers; then removed to Sheffield. In the meantime he had served as cashier
and president of the First National Bank of Montgomery; was Instrumental in organizing the Montgomery Land &
Improvement Company, of which he was vice president; and became president of the company which founded Sheffield,
which has become the second city In the south in Iron production. Since then he has engaged in the practice of
law In Washington, D. C. He was a member of the commission appointed by the United States. England and Germany
to settle the trouble in Samoa In 1893 and in 1897 was chosen by the U. S. government as chief Justice of Samoa;
In 1901 was appointed a member of the Spanish treaty commission; and later was chairman of the arbitration board
to settle the controversy between the labor brotherhoods and railroads. He has always supported the Democratic
party and was secretary of the state Democratic committee in two campaigns; Is a member of the Methodist Episcopal
church. South; was chairman of the board of stewards of Court Street church, Montgomery, and of Mount Vernon Place
church, Washington D. C: and is a member of the Chi Phi college fraternity and the Knights of Pythias. He has frequently
contributed articles to newspapers and magazines; and throughout life has been In some way identified with educational,
social and religious movements; was a teacher for several years before entering upon the practice of law; was chairman
of the board of education of Montgomery for several years; a member of the Society for Promotion of Religious Education,
Washington, D. C; recent of Fairmont Seminary: a member of the National Geographic Society and American Institute
of Archaeology.
Married: October 27. 1873. In Montgomery to Laura Llgon Clopton, daughter of David band Martha (Ligon) Clopton,
who lived at Tuskegee and later Montgomery. Mr. Clopton was a member of the U. S. congress prior to the War of
Secession; enlisted as a private In the C. S. Army; and was a member of the Confederate congress at the time of
Lee'a surrender. Children: 1. Anne Laura, m. in 1900 Benjamln Palmer Carter, of New Orleans, a distinguished mining
engineer and general manager of the greatest gold producing mine In the world at Johannesburg, Transvaal. South
Africa; 2. David Clopton, m. Elisabeth McLean, of Tuscumbla. and Is a successful farmer of Montgomery County, Ml,
having resigned a lucrative position In the department of Justice; 3. William Henry, associated with his brother
in the conduct of Bon Acre Farm, of which dairying is the principal feature; 4. Louise L., living with her parents
at their country home near Washington, D. C. Residence: Washington, D. C.
[Source: History of Alabama and Dictionary of Alabama Biography, By Thomas
McAdory Owen, Marie Bankhead Owen, Published by The S. J. Clarke publishing company, 1921; Transcribed by C. Anthony]
©Genealogy Trails
|
