George Wesley Atkinson
| George W. Atkinson | |
|---|---|
 |
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| 10th Governor of West Virginia | |
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In office March 4, 1897 – March 4, 1901 |
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| Preceded by | William A. MacCorkle |
| Succeeded by | Albert B. White |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from West Virginia's 1st district |
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In office February 26, 1890 – March 3, 1891 |
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| Preceded by | John O. Pendleton |
| Succeeded by | John O. Pendleton |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
June 29, 1845 Charleston, Virginia (now West Virginia) |
| Died | April 4, 1925 (aged 79) Charleston, West Virginia |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse(s) | Ellen Eagan, Myra Horner Camden Atkinson |
| Profession | Politician |
George Wesley Atkinson (June 29, 1845 – April 4, 1925) of Ohio County was an attorney and politician, the tenth Governor of West Virginia, serving 1897-1901. He also served in the U.S. House of Representatives and was appointed as a federal judge on the United States Court of Claims.
Atkinson was born in Charleston, West Virginia, in 1854, when it was still part of Virginia. It seceded and joined the Union during the American Civil War. He attended local schools before going to college. In 1870, Atkinson graduated from Ohio Wesleyan University with an A.B.. He served as toll collector on the Kanawha River Board from 1869 to 1871, even during his last year in college. After graduation, he was appointed postmaster of Charleston in 1871.
He returned to graduate school, earning an M.A. at Ohio Wesleyan in 1873, and an LL.B. from Howard University in 1874.
After coming back to Charleston, he joined the Republican Party and soon ran for office. He was defeated for election to the West Virginia Legislature in 1876. He worked as an Internal Revenue agent from 1879 to 1881. His success at interfering with moonshiners (who sold their product without collecting taxes or reporting their income) led to his appointment as a United States Marshall, serving until 1885.
In 1888, he ran for Congress as a Republican against Democrat John O. Pendleton. The election was contested, and although Pendleton had presented his credentials and served in the seat for nearly a year, Atkinson was eventually declared the winner by Congress and seated.
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