William Clay Cole (also known as William C. Cole) was a Republican

Republican Party (United States)

The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...

 representative

United States House of Representatives

The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...

 from Missouri's 3rd congressional district

Missouri's 3rd congressional district

Missouri's third congressional district is in the eastern portion of the state. It includes much of southern St Louis City, much of southern St Louis County, and all of Jefferson County and St Genevieve County....

 from 1943 to 1949 and from the Missouri's 6th congressional district

Missouri's 6th congressional district

Missouri's 6th congressional district takes in a large swath of land in rural northwest Missouri. Its largest voting population is centered in the Kansas City metropolitan area and the town of St. Joseph. The district includes all of Kansas City north of the Missouri River...

 1953 to 1955.

He was born on a farm near Fillmore, Missouri

Fillmore, Missouri

Fillmore is a city in Andrew County, Missouri, United States. The population was 211 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Fillmore is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land....

. He was mounted scout

Reconnaissance

Reconnaissance is the military term for exploring beyond the area occupied by friendly forces to gain information about enemy forces or features of the environment....

 on the Mexican

Mexico

The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...

 border with the Missouri forces in 1916 and served in the war zone

War Zone

A war zone is a location of military conflict, but the term may also refer to:* War Zone , a 1998 documentary about street harassment* The War Zone, a 1999 film starring Ray Winstone...

 for 14 months during World War I

World War I

World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...

.

After the war he graduated from a law school

Law school

A law school is an institution specializing in legal education.- Law degrees :- Canada :...

 in St. Joseph, Missouri. He served in the Missouri House of Representatives

Missouri House of Representatives

The Missouri House of Representatives is the lower chamber of the Missouri General Assembly. It has 163 members, representing districts with an average size of 31,000 residents. House members are elected for two-year terms during general elections held in even-numbered years.In 1992 Missouri...

in 1942. He served from 1943 to 1949 (failing to get re-elected) and then returned in 1953 and lost a second election.

He returned to his law practice in St. Joseph and is buried in Fillmore.