William Stanley West

{{Infobox officeholder | name = William Stanley West | image = West 4910525640 7ee487fd15 o (3x4a).jpg | jr/sr1 = United States Senator | state1 = [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]] | appointer1 = [[John M. Slaton]] | term_start1 = March 2, 1914 | term_end1 = November 3, 1914 | predecessor1 = [[Augustus Octavius Bacon|Augustus O. Bacon]] | successor1 = [[Thomas W. Hardwick]] | office2 = Member of the [[Georgia Senate]] | term2 = 1901-1906 | office3 = Member of the [[Georgia House of Representatives]] | term3 = 1892-1901 | birth_date = {{birth date|1849|8|23}} | birth_place = [[Buena Vista, Georgia|Buena Vista]], [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]], U.S. | death_date = {{death date and age|1914|12|22|1849|8|23}} | death_place = [[Valdosta, Georgia|Valdosta]], [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]], U.S. | party = [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] }} '''William Stanley West''' (August 23, 1849{{spaced ndash}}December 22, 1914) was a [[United States Senate|United States senator]] from the state of [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]]. He was a [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrat]].<ref name=obit/> He is notable for being the first person appointed to the Senate after ratification of the [[Seventeenth Amendment to the United States Constitution|Seventeenth Amendment]] made that possible.

==Biography== West was born in [[Buena Vista, Georgia]], on August 23, 1849. He studied law at [[Mercer University]] and graduated in 1876. After passing the bar that same year, West became a practicing attorney. West served in the [[Georgia House of Representatives]] from 1892 until 1901 and the [[Georgia Senate]] from 1901 until 1906. He was appointed to the U.S. Senate in 1914 to serve the remainder of the term of [[Augustus Octavius Bacon|Augustus O. Bacon]] who had died earlier that year.<ref name=obit/><ref>{{cite news |title=Col. West Succeeds Bacon. Well-Known Georgian Appointed U.S. Senator by Gov. Slaton |url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9804E7D81438E633A25750C2A9649D946596D6CF&legacy=true |newspaper=[[New York Times]] |date=February 26, 1914 }}</ref> West served until [[Thomas W. Hardwick]] was [[1914 United States Senate elections|elected]] to fill Bacon's seat.

Only one month after leaving his senatorial position, West died on December 22, 1914, in [[Valdosta, Georgia]].<ref name=obit>{{cite news |title=Ex-senator West Dead. Georgia Lawyer Filled the Unexpired Term of Senator Bacon |url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9804E7D81438E633A25750C2A9649D946596D6CF&legacy=true |newspaper=[[New York Times]] |date=December 23, 1914 }}</ref> He was buried in [[Sunset Hill Cemetery]] in that same city.

==Establishing Valdosta State University== West was instrumental as a State Senator in establishing the South Georgia State Normal College (now [[Valdosta State University]]). In 1906, West and State Representative C.R. Ashley presented bills proposing the establishment of a college in Valdosta to the Georgia Senate and the House of Representatives, respectively. By an act of the Georgia State Legislature that year the establishment of an agricultural, industrial, or normal college in South Georgia was approved. Despite the legislation, no funding was granted until the summer of 1911. West donated fifty acres of land for the campus.<ref name = Davis>Davis, Deborah. ''Valdosta State University''. College History Series. [[Arcadia Publishing]]. Charleston, SC. 2001</ref>

[[West Hall (Valdosta State University)|West Hall]], built in 1917, is named in his honor.<ref name="Davis"/>

==The Crescent== West's former house in Valdosta, known as the [[The Crescent (Valdosta, Georgia)|Crescent]], is listed in the [[National Register of Historic Places]]. Built in 1898 the old home and grounds now serve as the Valdosta Garden Center, a home for several garden clubs around the city, and is one of the most recognized symbols of the city.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://valdostascene.com/june2009/x155362519/The-Crescent |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110618033628/http://valdostascene.com/june2009/x155362519/The-Crescent |archive-date=2011-06-18 |title=The Crescent » June 2009 » Valdosta Scene}}</ref>

==References== {{Bioguide}} {{CongBio|W000305}} {{reflist}}

==External links== *[http://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/west-westbrook.html#923.91.03 William Stanley West entry] at [[The Political Graveyard]] *{{Find a Grave|7826873}}

{{s-start}} {{s-par|us-sen}} {{succession box |before= [[Augustus O. Bacon]] |title= [[Georgia's congressional delegations|U.S. Senator (Class 2) from Georgia]] |years= March 2, 1914 – November 3, 1914 |alongside= [[M. Hoke Smith]] |after= [[Thomas W. Hardwick]]}} {{s-end}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:West, William Stanley}} [[Category:1849 births]] [[Category:1914 deaths]] [[Category:Democratic Party United States senators from Georgia (U.S. state)]] [[Category:Georgia (U.S. state) lawyers]] [[Category:Democratic Party Georgia (U.S. state) state senators]] [[Category:Democratic Party members of the Georgia House of Representatives]] [[Category:Mercer University alumni]] [[Category:People from Buena Vista, Georgia]] [[Category:State political party chairs of Georgia (U.S. state)]] [[Category:19th-century American lawyers]] [[Category:20th-century United States senators]] [[Category:19th-century members of the Georgia General Assembly]]