The Biographical Dictionary of America/Atkinson, George Wesley

ATKINSON, George Wesley, governor of West Virginia, was born in Charleston, Va., June 29, 1845; son of James and Miriam (Rader) Atkinson; and grandson of George Atkinson, a Virginian, 'and of George Rader, a native of Germany. He was graduated from Ohio Wesleyan university in 1870 with the degree of A.B.; took post-graduate studies at Mt. Union college, Ohio, and was graduated from the law department of Howard university, Washington, D.C. in 1874. He was admitted to the bar in 1875 and practised law at Wheeling, W. Va., from 1885. He was a member of the West Virginia legislature in 1876; United States marshal of West Virginia, 1881-'85; postmaster of Charleston, W. Va., 1870-'76; United States internal revenue agent, 1876-'80, and Republican representative from the 1st West Virginia district in the 51st congress, 1889-'91. He was elected governor of West Virginia by the Republican party for the term from March 4, 1897, to March 4, 1901. He was a member of the Charleston board of education, 1869-’71, and assistant county superintendent of public schools, 1868-'70. He received the degrees Ph.D. pro merito from Mt. Union college in 1887, LL.D. from Howard university, Tenn., in 1890, LL.B. from Howard university in 1891, LL.D. from the University of Nashville, Tenn., in 1890, and D.C.L. from the University of West Virginia in 1897. He is the author of "History of Kanawha" (1876); "West Virginia Pulpit" (1878); "After the Moonshiners" (1879); "Revenue Digest" (1880); "A.B.C. of the Tariff" (1882); "Don't, or Negative Chips from Blocks of Living Truths" (1886); "Prominent Men of West Virginia" (1795); "Psychology Simplified " (1887), and poems 1899).