Representative John Chiles Houk

John Chiles Houk (February 26, 1860 – June 3, 1923) was an American politician and lawyer who served as a Republican Representative from Tennessee in the United States Congress from 1891 to 1895, representing the 2nd congressional district. Over the course of two terms in the House of Representatives, he participated in the legislative process during a significant period in American history and represented the interests of his East Tennessee constituents.

Houk was born in Clinton, Anderson County, Tennessee, on February 26, 1860, the son of Leonidas C. Houk and Elizabeth Houk. He attended local schools in his youth. In 1871 he moved with his parents to Knoxville, Tennessee, a relocation that placed him in one of the principal political and commercial centers of East Tennessee. He later pursued higher education at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, from which he graduated, laying the academic foundation for his subsequent legal and political career.

After completing his early education, Houk entered federal service in Washington, D.C., where he was employed as a clerk in the Pensions Bureau from 1881 to 1883. While in Washington he studied law at Columbian University, now known as George Washington University. He was admitted to the bar in 1884 and returned to Tennessee, commencing the practice of law in Knoxville. Alongside his legal work, he became active in Republican Party politics, serving as secretary of the state Republican committee for four years, a role that helped establish his standing within the party. He also held a position within the federal legislative apparatus as Assistant Doorkeeper of the United States House of Representatives during the Fifty-first Congress.

Houk’s congressional service began under circumstances shaped by family legacy. Elected as a Republican to the Fifty-second Congress to fill the vacancy caused by the death of his father, Representative Leonidas C. Houk, he took his seat as the member of the United States House of Representatives for Tennessee’s 2nd congressional district. He was subsequently re-elected to the Fifty-third Congress and served from December 7, 1891, to March 3, 1895. During these two terms in office, he contributed to the legislative process and participated in the democratic governance of the nation at a time of economic and political transition in the post-Reconstruction era. In 1894 he was an unsuccessful candidate for renomination, which brought his service in the U.S. House to a close at the end of the Fifty-third Congress.

Following his departure from Congress, Houk remained an influential figure in Tennessee politics. He resumed the practice of law in Knoxville while continuing his involvement in public affairs. He served multiple terms in the Tennessee Senate, holding office from 1897 to 1899, from 1911 to 1913, and again from 1917 to 1923. Through these periods of legislative service at the state level, he maintained a prominent role in shaping policy and representing Republican interests in a region where his party had deep historical roots dating back to the Civil War era.

John Chiles Houk died in Fountain City, in Knox County, Tennessee, on June 3, 1923, at the age of 63. At the time of his death he was still serving in the Tennessee Senate, capping a long career in both state and national public service. He was interred at Greenwood Cemetery in Knoxville, Tennessee, reflecting his lifelong connection to the city that had been the center of his legal practice and political life.