Lee County, Virginia Genealogy Trails

Biographies

Campbell Bascom Slemp, M. C.
     From page to congressman is not unknown in American politics, but such a record is rare. The entire political record of Congressman Slemp, however, is unusual, he being first elected to congress to fill a vacancy caused by the death of his father, Campbell Slemp, who served in the fifty-eighth, fifty-ninth and sixtieth congresses, dying in office. The father was an officer of the Confederate States army and gave his best to the cause. The Slemps were early settlers of Lee County, Virginia, three intermarrying with the Garwoods and Reads of old Virginia ancestry.
     Campbell Slemp, son of Sebastian Smith and Margaret (Read) Slemp, was born at Turkey Cove, Lee County, Virginia, December 2, 1839, died October 13, 1907. He was educated in private schools until 1856, when he entered Emory and Henry College, attending that institution until his graduation in 1859. He became a farmer and real estate dealer, but gave much time to the public service. In 1861 he enlisted in the Confederate States army, a captain of a company of the Twenty-first Virginia Battalion, and became lieutenant-colonel, later was commissioned colonel of the Sixty-fourth Regiment, Virginia Infantry and Cavalry combined. He served until the surrender at Appomattox, then returned to his farm and business in Lee county. He was a Republican in politics and in 1879 was elected to the Virginia legislature and reelected in 1881, but was defeated in 1883. In 1889 he was a candidate for lieutenant-governor of Virginia on the Mahone ticket, in 1888 was a presidential elector on the Harrison ticket, and on the McKinley ticket was elector in 1896. He was one of the leaders of his party in Virginia, and in November, 1902, was the successful candidate for congress from the ninth congressional district of Virginia. He took his seat, March 4, 1903, as a member of the fifty-eighth congress, and served with such acceptability that he was returned to the fifty-ninth congress and again to the sixtieth, but only served in the latter body from March 4, 1907, until his death at Big Stone Gap, Virginia, October 13, of that year. He was a man of culture, gifted in mind and speech, highly respected by even his opponents, and left behind him a name without reproach. He married, in 1864, Nanny B., daughter of Morris and Margaret Cawood ; children: Campbell Bascom, of whom further; Jennie.
     Campbell Bascom Slemp, only son of Campbell and Nanny B. (Cawood) Slemp, was born in Lee County, Virginia, September 4, 1870. He obtained his early education in private schools, entered Virginia Military Institute at age of sixteen years and was graduated therefrom in the class of 1900. He was commandant of cadets at Marion Military Institute for one year and adjunct professor of mathematics at Virginia Military Institute resigning the latter position in 1901. He studied law at the University of Virginia and has since his admission to the bar been actively engaged in legal practice connected principally with coal lands and real estate. While a boy he had served as page in the Virginia house of asembly during the session of 1881-82. In 1905 he was elected chairman of the Virginia Republican state committee having been active in political work and having displayed qualities of leadership that rendered his services valuable. He continued at the head of the state committee until by unanimous consent reelected in 1908 and was again unanimously chosen March 12, 1912. On December 17, 1907, he was elected representative from the ninth Virginia congressional district to fill the vacancy caused by the death of his father, Campbell Slemp, and he took his seat in the sixtieth congress, January 6, 1908, and after serving out the term was elected to succeed himself. He served during the life of the sixty-first congress, March 4, 1909, to March 4, 1911, was again chosen to succeed himself in the sixtysecond and the sixty-third congresses. He has gained honorable distinction as a national legislature, has been honored by his party leaders with important congressional assignments, and is a tower of strength to his party in his own state and in the nation. Mr. Slemp is president of the Slemp Coal Company, president of the Hamilton Realty Company, and has other important business interests. He is a member of the board of visitors of the United States Naval Academy, member of the Army and Navy Club, and of the Country Club of Washington. He married Roberta, daughter of E. H. Barton, of Louisiana. The family home is at Big Stone Gap, Virginia.
[Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography, Under The Editorial Supervision of Lyon Gardiner Tyler, 1915 ? Transcribed by AFOFG]

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