His father had enlisted in the 9th Virginia Infantry as a surgeon shortly after graduating from medical school, but mostly served at Poplar Lawn hospital in Petersburg, then was assigned to North Carolina late in the war.

During his son's youth, Dr. Emmett Drewry had helped to found the Medical Society of Virginia in Richmond, but mostly practiced in Southampton County.

He was active in the Washington Street Methodist Church (and wrote a history of it), as well as the Sons of Confederate Veterans (became Commander of the A.P.

[6] Drewry represented the city of Petersburg and neighboring Dinwiddie County, and won re-election, thus serving (part-time) from 1912 until 1920.

[7] An advocate for medical and charitable causes, Drewry also sponsored the state's vital statistics bill.

[8] Drewry won election as a Democrat to the Sixty-sixth Congress to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Walter A. Watson.