William Price Elmer was a
U.S. RepresentativeThe 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
MissouriMissouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
.
Born in
Robertsville, MissouriRobertsville is an unincorporated community in eastern Franklin County, Missouri, United States. It is located about six miles southwest of Pacific on Missouri Supplemental Route O. It is Home to the Robertsville State Park....
, Elmer attended the public schools and Wingo Law School,
Salem, Missouri-External links:* * Historic maps of Salem in the at the University of Missouri...
. He was admitted to the bar in 1892 and commenced practice in
Salem, Missouri-External links:* * Historic maps of Salem in the at the University of Missouri...
. He served as prosecuting attorney for Dent County, Missouri, in 1895 and 1896 and again in 1905 and 1906. He served as member of the State house of representatives in 1903, 1904, 1921, 1922, and 1929–1933, serving as temporary speaker and floor leader in 1929. Elmer served as city attorney of
Salem, Missouri-External links:* * Historic maps of Salem in the at the University of Missouri...
from 1920 to 1930. He served as delegate or alternate to the Republican National Conventions in 1904, 1908, 1912, and 1920. He served as chairman of the Republican county committee 1908–1944. He served as member of the 1929 commission to revise Missouri laws. He was an unsuccessful candidate for Lieutenant Governor in 1940.
Elmer was elected as a
RepublicanThe 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...
to the
Seventy-eighth CongressThe Seventy-eighth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, DC from January 3, 1943 to January 3, 1945, during the last two years...
(January 3, 1943 – January 3, 1945). He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1944 to the Seventy-ninth Congress. He was an unsuccessful candidate for the Republican nomination for United States Senator in 1946. He resumed the practice of law. He served as director of First National Bank of Salem. He served as member of board of curators of
University of MissouriThe University of Missouri System is a state university system providing centralized administration for four universities, a health care system, an extension program, five research and technology parks, and a publishing press. More than 64,000 students are currently enrolled at its four campuses...
1949–1955. He died in
Salem, Missouri-External links:* * Historic maps of Salem in the at the University of Missouri...
, May 11, 1956. He was interred in Cedar Grove Cemetery.