Tilson, John

Tilson, John (Quillin)

(1866–1958) U.S. representative; born in Clear Branch, Tenn. After working his way through Yale law school, he practiced law in New Haven (1897), and was a Connecticut representative (1905–08). He challenged the Republican Party's candidate and was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives (1909–11, 1915–31). Republican majority leader (1925–31), his ambitions to be Speaker were thwarted in 1931 and he opened a Washington law office, later serving as chairman of Save the Children.