Mineral County, West Virginia Biography of Emory Ledrew TYLER This file was submitted by Vivian Brinker, E-mail address: The submitter does not have a connection to the subject of this sketch. This file may be freely copied by individuals and non-profit organizations for their private use. All other rights reserved. Any other use, including publication, storage in a retrieval system, or transmission by electronic, mechanical, or other means requires the written approval of the file's author. This file is part of the WVGenWeb Archives. If you arrived here inside a frame or from a link from somewhere else, our front door is at http://www.usgwarchives.net/wv/wvfiles.htm The History of West Virginia, Old and New Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc., Chicago and New York, Volume II. pg. 182 EMORY LEDREW TYLER came from the University of Morgantown with a diploma as a law graduate some ten years ago, and began his professional career in Mineral County. He has made an enviable success, largely due to the two terms he held the office of prosecuting attorney, and is now engaged in private practice at Keyser. Mr. Tyler was born in Doddridge County, West Virginia, March 6, 1885. His grandfather, John Tyler, came into the western county from the Valley of Virginia, was a farmer, and married a Miss Powell near Arthur, West Virginia. Their only child was Conrad Tyler, who was born after his father's death and was reared under somewhat adverse conditions, so that he acquired little education. He was born in Grant County sixty-five years ago, and farming was his steady occupation until he retired to Keyser, where he is now living. He is a member of the Methodist Church. Conrad Tyler married Margaret Veach, who was born in Grant County, sixty-three years ago, daughter of John and Margaret (Seymour) Veach. The children of this couple are: Ura, wife of Benjamin Rotruck; Emory Ledrew; May, who married Howard Arnold; Homer, of Keyser; Erma, of Keyser; Mansfield of Keyser; Otis, Winona and Jane, all at home. While Emory Ledrew Tyler was an infant his parents moved to the vicinity of Mount Sterling, Ohio, and when he was seven years of age they returned to West Virginia and located in Grant County near Maysville, where Emory Ledrew lived until reaching man's estate. He attended the common schools, the Keyser Preparatory School, and at West Virginia University took the literary as well as the law courses. He graduated in law in the spring of 1912, and a few weeks later was engaged to try his first case, at Keyser. This case was the prosecution of a man for pistol toting, but the decision went against him. Mr. Tyler was elected prosecuting attorney of Mineral County in 1912, succeeding Arthur Arnold, and was re-elected for a second term in 1916. During his eight years in office he made a distinctive record of winning eighty percent of his cases and gave particular attention to the vigorous prosecution of all violators of the liquor law. With greatly increased prestige he left office in the winter of 1920 to turn his experience to account in private practice. For several years Mr. Tyler was a partner of Charles Ritchie, now assistant attorney general of West Virginia, in the firm of Ritchie & Tyler. Mr. Tyler's father was independent in politics, while his mother's people were republicans, and he chose the republican party as his own political faith, casting his first vote for William H. Taft. He was a member of the State Judicial Convention of 1920 at Wheeling, and is chairman of the Republican Executive Committee of Mineral County. As prosecuting attorney he made his office an instrument in upholding the patriotic record of Mineral County during the World war, assisted in recruiting duty and was government appeal agent and counsel for the Draft Board. Mr. Tyler is affiliated with the Knights of Pythias and Modern Woodmen of America, and the Kappa Alpha College fraternity. He is state lecturer for the Modern Woodmen. His church is the Methodist Episcopal. On September 14, 1915, at Baltimore, he married Miss Pearl C. Compton, who was born at Martinsburg, West Virginia, in December, 1885, daughter of John and Sallie (Buzzard) Compton. She is a graduate of the high school of her native city, the Cumberland High School, attended preparatory school at Keyser, and is an A. B. graduate of West Virginia University and later took post- graduate work in Johns Hopkins University at Baltimore. Mrs. Tyler is one of the best educated women in the state, and before her marriage was a successful teacher of English in the Milton High School and later in the preparatory school at Montgomery, West Virginia. She is one of five living children, the others being: Chester, of Pittsburgh; Ada, connected with the Woman's Extension Work in West Virginia University; Eva, in charge of domestic science in the State Normal School at Fairmont; and Vernon C., principal of schools at Berkeley Springs. Mr. and Mrs. Tyler have two daughters, Ruth Winifred and Janet. While he has had an active career of only about ten years, Mr. Tyler has formed some substantial connections with business affairs, being a stockholder in the First National Bank of Keyser, in the Marteller Coal Company, is vice president of the Mineral County Coal Company and the Eastern Coal and Mining Company, is attorney for the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Company, the Marteller Coal Company, the Dean Coal Company, and has professional connections with the First National Bank of Keyser, Edington & Company and other firms.