[2] He was descended from the family of which belonged Mary Ball, the mother of George Washington.

He came with his parents to Jefferson County, Iowa, in 1854 where he attended the public schools and Fairfield University.

Again elected in 1914, he served as representative in the Twenty-second, Twenty-third and Thirty-sixth General Assemblies.

In 1916 he was elected senator from the Jefferson-Van Buren district, and served in the Thirty-seventh and Thirty-eighth General Assemblies.

[1] He vigorously proposed repealing the law for extending and improving the capitol grounds.