John Curtis Kyle (July 17, 1851 – July 6, 1913) was an American attorney and Democratic politician from Mississippi during the late 19th century. He was most notable for his service as mayor of Sardis, Mississippi (1879-1881), a member of the Mississippi State Senate (1881-1885), member of the Mississippi Railroad Commission (1886-1890) and member of the U.S. House of Representatives (1891-1897).
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Early life
editKyle was born in Sardis, Mississippi, the son of James M. Kyle and Susannah (Curtis) Kyle.[1] As a boy, he attended the local schools and worked on his family's farm.[1] He attended Bethel College through his junior year, then returned home to work on the farm.[1] He later resumed his education at Cumberland University Law School, from which he received a LL.B. degree in 1874.[1] He then attained admission to the bar and began a law practice in Batesville, Mississippi.[1] After several years in Batesville, Kyle returned to Sardis, where he continued practicing law.[1]
Political career
editKyle served as Democratic mayor of Sardis from 1879 to 1881, an event that was noteworthy for the fact that Kyle had not been a candidate for the office and had not campaigned for it.[1] In 1881, Kyle was elected to the Mississippi State Senate, and he served until 1885.[1] He declined to be a candidate for a second term, and in 1886 the state legislature chose him for a seat on the Mississippi Railroad Commission.[1] Kyle had not sought the position, but still defeated John Marshall Stone in the legislative vote.[1] In 1887, he was elected chairman of the Mississippi Democratic Party's executive committee, and he oversaw the party's efforts in that year's statewide elections.[1]
U.S. Representative
editIn 1890, Kyle was elected to the United States House of Representatives.[1] He was re-elected in 1892 and 1894, and served in the House from March 4, 1891 to March 3, 1897.[1] He was not a candidate for renomination in 1896 election, declining to run because he opposed the Democratic Party's adoption of the Free silver position in its 1896 platform.[2]
Later life
editAfter leaving the House, Kyle resumed practicing law. He also became involved in several banking and business ventures. In 1900, Kyle was a candidate for the presidency of Mississippi Agricultural & Mechanical College and lost by one vote when the school's board of trustees voted 5 to 4 to offer the position to J. C. Hardy.[3] In 1902, Kyle announced his candidacy in the 1903 gubernatorial election, but withdrew after his business and legal interests prevented him from becoming an active candidate.[2]
He retired from business in 1912, and died in Sardis on July 6, 1913, eleven days before his 62nd birthday.[4] He was interred in Rosehill Cemetery.[5]
Family
editIn 1879, Kyle married Sallie G. Heflin of Sardis.[1] They were the parents of a son, John Curtis Kyle Jr. (1882-1905).[1]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Mississippi. Vol. 1. Chicago, IL: Goodspeed Publishing Company. 1891. pp. 1085–1086 – via Google Books.
- ^ a b "Will Not Run". Hattiesburg Daily News. Hattiesburg, MS. January 29, 1903. p. 3. Archived from the original on July 17, 2020. Retrieved October 8, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Governor's Vote Elects J. C. Hardy". The Weekly Democrat. Natchez, MS. April 11, 1900. p. 5. Archived from the original on July 17, 2020. Retrieved October 8, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Ex-Congressman Called By Death". Weekly Times-Democrat. 1913-07-11. p. 19. Archived from the original on 2020-03-23. Retrieved 2020-03-22 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Spencer, Thomas E. (1998). Where They're Buried. Baltimore, MD: Clearfield Company. p. 212. ISBN 978-0-8063-4823-0 – via Google Books.
External links
edit- United States Congress. "KYLE, John Curtis (id: K000354)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.