S. Otis Bland
| Schuyler Otis Bland | |
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| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Virginia's 1st district |
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In office July 2, 1918 – February 16, 1950 At-large: March 4, 1933 – January 3, 1935 |
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| Preceded by | William A. Jones |
| Succeeded by | Edward J. Robeson, Jr. |
| Chairman of House Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries | |
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In office January 3, 1949 – January 3, 1951 |
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| Preceded by | Alvin F. Weichel |
| Succeeded by | Edward J. Hart |
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In office March 4, 1933 – January 3, 1947 |
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| Preceded by | Ewin L. Davis |
| Succeeded by | Alvin F. Weichel |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
May 4, 1872 Gloucester, Virginia |
| Died | February 16, 1950 (aged 77) Bethesda, Maryland |
| Resting place | Newport News, Virginia |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Alma mater | College of William and Mary |
| Profession | lawyer |
Schuyler Otis Bland (May 4, 1872 – February 16, 1950) was a United States Representative from Virginia. Born near Gloucester, Virginia, he attended the Gloucester Academy and the College of William and Mary. He was a teacher and a lawyer in private practice, and was elected as a Democrat to the Sixty-fifth Congress to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Representative William A. Jones. He was reelected to the Sixty-sixth and to the fifteen succeeding Congresses, serving from July 2, 1918 to February 16, 1950. While in the House, he was chair of the Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries (Seventy-third through Seventy-ninth Congresses and Eighty-first Congress). The United States Merchant Marine Academy Library is named in his honor.
Bland died in Bethesda, Maryland and was interred in Greenlawn Cemetery, Newport News, Virginia.
Schuyler Otis Bland was born May 4, 1872, on a farm in Gloucester County. His father, Schuyler Bland, a Confederate soldier, died a few years later. Educated at first by tutors, young Schuyler Otis entered Gloucester Academy at the age of 12 and afterwards matriculated at the College of William and Mary. During his senior year, he served as instructor in history, Latin and English. He won his Phi Beta Kappa key, but arranged his courses for the study of law, instead of working toward a degree.
After leaving college, he taught school in Accomac County, continued the study of law, and attended a summer law course at the University of Virginia. In 1899, he passed the State bar examination, and in 1900, began the practice of law in Newport News. Successful as a lawyer, he had a large private practice and served also on the legal staff of the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway. In 1914–15, he was vice-president of the Virginia Bar Association.
When Congressman William A. Jones died, Bland received the convention's nomination as his successor. He entered Congress, July 3, 1918, and was regularly re-elected until his death. Only 10 members of the House of Representatives have had longer continuous service. As chairman of the House Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries, Otis Bland was largely responsible for the Merchant Marine Act of 1936, which began the rehabilitation of American shipping. He is also a member of the Select Committee on Conservation of Wildlife Resources. His wife is the former Mary Crawford Putzel of Newport News. (From archived newspaper clipping)
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