Louis Kossuth Atwood, also documented as L. K. Attwood[1][2] (December 15, 1850 - January 8, 1929) was a lawyer, bank founder and president, minister, teacher and state legislator in Mississippi.

L. K. Altwood
Louis Kossuth Atwood
Born(1850-12-15)December 15, 1850
DiedJanuary 8, 1929(1929-01-08) (aged 78)
Occupation(s)American politician, lawyer, minister and teacher

Early life and education

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He was born December 15, 1850, in Alabama to slave parents.[3] When he was 18 months old, he was sold at a slave auction; his mother bought him and took him away to Ohio.[4]

Altwood obtained both his primary and secondary education at Ripley, Ohio.[3] He was an 1874 Bachelor of Arts graduate of Lincoln University in Pennsylvania.[3][5] Altwood was also ordained as a Presbyterian minister while at university.[3]

Career

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After graduating he moved to Bolton, Mississippi, where he started working as a school teacher and then later in commerce.[3]

He studied law and was admitted to The Mississippi Bar in 1879 before starting up a law practice in Bolton.[4][5][3]

He founded the fraternal insurance company the Sons and Daughters of Jacob of America in 1883 which he ran until his death.[3]

Altwood served two terms in the Mississippi House of Representatives from: 1880 to 1881 and from 1884 to 1885 representing Hinds County as a Republican.[5][6][7] He was also appointed a United States internal revenue collector, until 1899, and was a delegate to several Republican National Conventions.[3][8]

He helped found Southern Bank in Jackson and served as its president.[5] In 1908 he was president of the Mississippi Negro Bankers Association.[9]

Death

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He died in Jackson, Mississippi on January 8, 1929 (as reported by his grave) or January 7 as reported in the newspaper obituary that described him as "one of Mississippi's greatest negro citizens".[3] He was survived by his widow of 49 years Maggie Beatrice Welborne; one son, Dr. Mollison Atwood; and three daughters: Hertycena Dickson, Ollive McKissack and Mary Millsaps.[3][5]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Washington, Booker T. (November 18, 1909). The Story of the Negro: The Rise of the Race from Slavery. Doubleday, Page & Company. ISBN 9781105120381 – via Google Books.
  2. ^ Smith, Alfred Emanuel; Walton, Francis (November 18, 1909). "Outlook". Outlook publishing Company, Incorporated – via Google Books.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Obituary for Louis Kossuth Atwood". Clarion-Ledger. 13 January 1929. p. 11. Retrieved 2 May 2022. 
  4. ^ a b Smith, J. Clay Jr. (May 2, 1999). Emancipation: The Making of the Black Lawyer, 1844-1944. University of Pennsylvania Press. ISBN 0812216857 – via Google Books.
  5. ^ a b c d e "Louis Kossuth Atwood – Against All Odds".
  6. ^ "Mississippi Legislative Directory 1880". Clarion-Ledger. 14 February 1880. p. 1. Retrieved 2 May 2022. 
  7. ^ "Mississippi House of Representatives 1884". Clarion-Ledger. 7 March 1884. p. 4. Retrieved 2 May 2022. 
  8. ^ "Internal Revenue Service Notice". Clarion-Ledger. 2 August 1899. p. 8. Retrieved 2 May 2022. 
  9. ^ https://much-ado.net/legislators/legislators/l-k-atwood/bank-2/
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