John Little McClellan | |
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United States Senator from Arkansas |
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In office January 3, 1943 – November 28, 1977 |
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Preceded by | G. Lloyd Spencer |
Succeeded by | Kaneaster Hodges, Jr. (interim) |
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Arkansas's 6th district |
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In office January 3, 1935 – January 3, 1939 |
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Preceded by | David D. Glover |
Succeeded by | William F. Norrell |
Personal details | |
Born | February 25, 1896 Sheridan, Arkansas |
Died | November 28, 1977 Little Rock, Arkansas |
(aged 81)
Nationality | American |
Political party | Democratic |
Military service | |
Service/branch | United States Army |
Years of service | 1917–1919 |
Rank | First Lieutenant |
Unit | Signal Corps |
Battles/wars | World War I |
John Little McClellan (February 25, 1896 – November 28, 1977) was an American lawyer and politician. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as a U.S. Representative (1935–39) and a U.S. Senator (1943–77) from Arkansas. At the time of his death, he was the second most senior member of the Senate and chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee. He is the longest-serving Senator in Arkansas history.
John Little McClellan was born on a farm near Sheridan, Arkansas to Isaac Scott and Belle (née Suddeth) McClellan. His parents, who were strong Democrats, named him after John Sebastian Little, who served as a U.S. Representative (1894–1907) and Governor of Arkansas (1907). His mother died only months after his birth, and he received his early education at local public schools. At age 12, after graduating from Sheridan High School, he began studying law in his father's office.
He was admitted to the state bar association in 1913, when he was only 17, after the Arkansas General Assembly approved a special act waiving the normal age requirement for certification as a lawyer. As the youngest attorney in the United States, he practiced law with his father in Sheridan.
McClellan married Eula Hicks in 1913; the couple had two children, and divorced in 1921. During World War I, he served in the U.S. Army as a first lieutenant in the aviation section of the Signal Corps from 1917 to 1919. Following his military service, he moved to Malvern, where he opened a law office and served as city attorney (1920–1926).