U.S. Legislator: James B. Aswell, Franklin Parish, LA
Submitted by : Glenda Warner Boyd

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The Franklin Sun     Winnsboro, LA    March 19, 1931
Submitted November 2008 by: Glenda Warner Boyd

James B. Aswell

Death Takes Veteran U.S. Legislator
Heart Attack Fatal to Representative of 8th District

James B. Aswell of Natchitoches a representative from the eighth district for more than sixteen years,
died at his residence in Washington, D. C. early Tuesday morning of heart disease.
Dr. Aswell's death was sudden, coming at 2:15 a.m. a few hours before he planned to leave for his home
in Louisiana for the summer.
As ranking minority member on the house agriculture committee, he took an active part in the formation
of the legislation that created the farm board and last fall he was the leader in the fight against
the administration to increase the drouth loan fund to $45,000,000.
Dr. Aswell had served continously since he entered congress in 1913. He was elected to the 72nd
congress,
yet to be organized. Before entering politics he was one of the outstanding educators of the state.
He was president of La Tech for four years, serving successively as Louisiana superintendent of
education,
chancellor of Mississippi university and president of Louisiana state normal. He played a large part
in
reorganization of the Louisiana public school system.
Born in Jackson parish in 1869 he was educated at George Peabody college of teachers at Nashville,
Tenn.
and held degrees from the universities of Nashville and Arkansas, besides having done graduate work at
the university of Chicago.
Aswell figured prominently in the work that led to enactment of the farm relief legislation which
created
the farm board. He sponsored numerous legislation dealing with the agricultural extension service and
experiment stations.
At the drouth conference called by President Hoover last fall he advanced a plan to loan $60,000,000
to the drouth stricken farmers and when the administration, through Secretary Hyde sponsored a
$25,000,000
loan, he bitterly assailed Hoover and Hyde. Ultimately the loan aggregated $45,000,000.
Aswell was in good health until his death. He spent Monday in preparing for his departure for
Louisiana.
Besides Mrs. Aswell he is survived by his son, Jame B. Aswell, jr. a New York writer, and Mrs. James
Edward
Cantrell, a daughter, of Georgetown, Kentucky.

Note: Burial was Rock Creek Cemetery, Washington, D.C.
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