Asbury Francis Lever

Asbury Francis Lever
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from South Carolina's 7th district
In office November 5, 1901 – August 1, 1919
Preceded by	J. William Stokes
Succeeded by	Edward C. Mann
Chairman of the House Committee on Agriculture
In office March 4, 1913 – March 4, 1919
Preceded by	John Lamb
Succeeded by	Gilbert N. Haugen
Chairman of the House Committee on Education
In office March 4, 1911 – March 4, 1913
Preceded by	James F. Burke
Succeeded by	Dudley M. Hughes
Member of the South Carolina House of Representatives
In office 1901
Personal details
Born	January 5, 1875 Lexington County, South Carolina
Died	April 28, 1940 (aged 65) Lexington County, South Carolina
Nationality	American
Political party	Democratic
Spouse(s)	Lucile Scurry Butler
Children	Two
Alma mater	Newberry College Georgetown University Law School
Profession	Attorney

Asbury Francis "Frank" Lever (January 5, 1875 – April 28, 1940) was a member of the United States House of Representatives from South Carolina.^[1][2]

Early life

Frank Lever was born near Springhill, Lexington County, South Carolina on January 5, 1875. He was the son of a farmer, Asbury Francis Washington Lever, and Mary Elvira Derrick. He attended the county schools and graduated from Newberry College with honors in 1895. He taught school for two years.^[1][2]

He moved to Washington, D.C. as the private secretary to Representative J. William Stokes from 1897 to 1901. He graduated from the Law Department of Georgetown University, Washington, D.C., in 1899 and was admitted to the bar in South Carolina the same year but did not practice.^[1][2]

He married Lucile Scurry Butler in 1911. They had two children.^[1]

Political career

He was a delegate to the Democratic State conventions in 1896 and 1900. He was elected a member of the South Carolina House of Representatives in 1901. He was elected as a Democrat to the Fifty-seventh Congress to fill the vacancy caused by the death of J. William Stokes was reelected to the Fifty-eighth and to the eight succeeding Congresses and served from November 5, 1901, until August 1, 1919.^[1][2]

Lever was the chairman of the House Committee on Education from 1911 to 1913 (Sixty-second Congress) and Committee on Agriculture (Sixty-third through Sixty-fifth Congresses).^[3][4] His major legislative achievements were in the area of state and federal efforts in agricultural and rural life. Major bills were the Smith-Lever Act of 1914 that established the Cooperative Extension Service, the Cotton Futures Act of 1914, the Cotton Warehouse Act of 1916, Federal Farm Loan Act of 1916 that created the Farm Credit Administration, and the Food and Fuel Control Act of 1917 that created a Food Administration and a Fuel Administration for World War I.^[1]

He resigned from Congress to become a member of the Federal Farm Loan Board, in which capacity he served until 1922. He briefly ran for the Democratic nomination for Governor of South Carolina in 1930, but sickness ended his campaign.^[1]

Later life

He was a Chair of the Board of Trustees of Newberry College and Life Trustee of Clemson College from 1913 to 1940.^[5] He was elected president of the First Carolinas Joint Stock Land Bank at Columbia, South Carolina, in 1922 and was a field representative of Federal Farm Board. He was a director of the public relations administration of the Farm Credit Administration until his death.^[1]

He died on April 28, 1940, at “Seven Oaks,” in Lexington County, South Carolina. He is interred at College Hill (Woodlawn) Cemetery, on campus of Clemson Agricultural College of South Carolina, Clemson, South Carolina.^[5]

Legacy

The Cooperative Extension Service is a legacy to Lever. This helped transform rural America. The Liberty Ship SS A. Frank Lever was named after Lever.^[6] Lever Hall, a high-rise dormitory on the Clemson University campus, is named after Asbury Lever.^[7]

The Clemson University Library has the papers of Frank Lever.^[8]

References

1. Edgar, Walter (2006). South Carolina Encyclopedia. Columbia, South Carolina: University of South Carolina Press. pp. 551–552. ISBN 978-1-57003-598-2.
2. "LEVER, Asbury Francis, (1875 - 1940)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. U.S. Congress. Retrieved 31 January 2009.
3. House Committee on Education and Labor. "Committee on Education (1883-1947)". Committee History. US Congress. Archived from the original on 29 January 2009. Retrieved 31 January 2009.
4. House Committee on Agriculture. "Chairmen of the Committee (1819-2004)". Committee History. US Congress. Archived from the original on 29 January 2009. Retrieved 31 January 2009.
5. Parsons, Sam (Spring 2004). "Lever’s great act". Clemson World (Clemson, South Carolina: Clemson University) 57 (2). Retrieved 31 January 2009.
6. Gerhardt, Frank A. "SS A. Frank Lever". Retrieved 31 January 2009.
7. "Lever Hall". Clemson Campus Album. Clemson University. Archived from the original on 31 January 2009. Retrieved 31 January 2009.
8. "Frank Lever papers 1895-1964 1900-1940". Clemson University. Retrieved 31 January 2009.