Arthur Wergs Mitchell

December 22, 1883 (age 84)

LaFayette, Chambers County, United States of America

Mitchell was the first African American to be elected to the United States Congress as a Democrat. He left home at 14 to go to the Tuskegee Institute. He worked on a farm and as an office boy to Booker T. Washington while attending the Institute. He then moved to Chicago, Illinois and began to work for the Republican Party. Mitchell switched from the Republican Party to the Democratic Party in 1932 after finding that his views on issues aligned himself closer to the Democrats. Mitchell was elected to the House of Representatives in 1934, defeating African American congressman Oscar De Priest, who was a Republican. Mitchell introduced bills banning lynching and against discrimination. He filed a lawsuit against the Illinois Central and Rock Island Railroads after he was forced into a segregated train car just before it passed into Arkansas. Mitchell"s suit was advanced to the United States. Supreme Court as case Mitchell v. United States, which ruled that the railroad violated the Interstate Commerce Acting. He voluntarily chose not to seek re-election in 1942. He moved to Virginia and became a farmer, working twelve acres (49,000 m²) of property. He died at his home in St. Petersburg, Virginia on May 9, 1968.

Arthur Wergs Mitchell

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United States representative politician

Background

Mitchell was born near Lafayette, Alabama.

Education

Mitchell attended Columbia University briefly and qualified for the Barometer

Career

Mitchell was the first African American to be elected to the United States Congress as a Democrat. He left home at 14 to go to the Tuskegee Institute. He worked on a farm and as an office boy to Booker T. Washington while attending the Institute.

He then moved to Chicago, Illinois and began to work for the Republican Party.

Mitchell switched from the Republican Party to the Democratic Party in 1932 after finding that his views on issues aligned himself closer to the Democrats. Mitchell was elected to the House of Representatives in 1934, defeating African American congressman Oscar De Priest, who was a Republican.

Mitchell introduced bills banning lynching and against discrimination. He filed a lawsuit against the Illinois Central and Rock Island Railroads after he was forced into a segregated train car just before it passed into Arkansas.

Mitchell"s suit was advanced to the United States. Supreme Court as case Mitchell v.

United States, which ruled that the railroad violated the Interstate Commerce Acting. He voluntarily chose not to seek re-election in 1942. He moved to Virginia and became a farmer, working twelve acres (49,000 m²) of property.

He died at his home in St. Petersburg, Virginia on May 9, 1968.

Politics

Democratic Party, Republican Party.

Membership

He was a member of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity and served as its 6th International President from 1926-1934.

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