William A. J. Sparks

William A. J. Sparks
Personal details
Born	(1828-11-19)November 19, 1828 New Albany, Indiana
Died	May 7, 1904(1904-05-07) (aged 75) St. Louis, Missouri
Resting place	St. Mary's Catholic Cemetery, Carlyle, Illinois
Political party	Democratic
Alma mater	McKendree College

William Andrew Jackson Sparks (November 19, 1828 – May 7, 1904) was a U.S. Representative from Illinois.

Born near New Albany, Indiana, Sparks moved with his parents to Illinois in 1836. He attended the public schools. He taught school for a time. He then graduated from McKendree College in 1850. He studied law. He was admitted to the bar in 1851 and commenced practice in Carlyle, Illinois. United States land receiver for the Edwardsville (Illinois) land office 1853-1856. He served as member of the State house of representatives in 1856 and 1857. He served in the State senate in 1863 and 1864. He served as delegate to the Democratic National Convention in 1868.

Sparks was elected as a Democrat to the Forty-fourth and to the three succeeding Congresses (March 4, 1875-March 3, 1883). He served as chairman of the Committee on Expenditures in the Department of the Interior (Forty-fifth Congress), Committee on Military Affairs (Forty-sixth Congress). He did not seek renomination in 1882. He resumed the practice of law. He was appointed by President Cleveland as Commissioner of the United States General Land Office and served from March 26, 1885, to March 26, 1888. He resumed the practice of law at Carlyle and Springfield, Illinois. He died in St. Louis, Missouri, May 7, 1904. He was interred in St. Mary's Catholic Cemetery, Carlyle, Illinois.

References

• United States Congress. "William A. J. Sparks (id: S000704)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. 

External links

• William A. J. Sparks at Find a Grave

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress website http://bioguide.congress.gov.

Commissioners of the General Land Office
Edward Tiffin Josiah Meigs John McLean George Graham Elijah Hayward Ethan Allen Brown James Whitcomb Elisha M. Huntington Thomas H. Blake James Shields Richard M. Young Justin Butterfield John Wilson Thomas A. Hendricks Samuel Axley Smith Joseph S. Wilson James M. Edmunds Joseph S. Wilson Willis Drummond Samuel S. Burdett James A. Williamson Noah C. McFarland William A. J. Sparks Strother M. Stockslager Lewis A. Groff Thomas H. Carter William M. Stone Silas W. Lamoreux Binger Hermann William A. Richards Richard A. Ballinger Fred Dennett Clay Tallman William Spry Charles C. Moore Fred W. Johnson

Chairmen of the United States House Committee on Armed Services
Military Affairs Committee (1822–1947)	Eustis Hamilton Vance Hamilton Drayton R. Johnson McKay C. Johnson Thompson Dawson Stanly Haralson Botts Burt Bissell Benton Quitman Faulkner B. Stanton Blair Buffington Schenck Garfield Logan Coburn Banning Sparks Henderson Rosecrans Bragg Townshend Cutcheon Outhwaite Hull Hay Dent Kahn McKenzie Morin James Quin McSwain Hill May
Naval Affairs Committee (1822–1947)	Fuller Crowninshield Storrs Hoffman Anderson White Jarvis Ingham Thomas Wise Parmenter Holmes King F. Stanton Bocock Benson Bocock Morse Sedgwick Rice Pike Scofield Whitthorne Harris Cox Herbert Boutelle Herbert Cummings Geissenhainer Boutelle Foss Padgett Butler Britten Vinson
Armed Services Committee (1947–)	Andrews Vinson Short Vinson Rivers Philbin Hébert Price Aspin Dellums Spence Stump Hunter Skelton McKeon Thornberry