Representative William Graves Sharp

William Graves Sharp (March 14, 1859 – November 17, 1922) was an American lawyer, diplomat, manufacturer, and three-term Democratic congressman from Ohio who served in the United States House of Representatives from 1909 to 1915. Over the course of his public career he became known both for his legislative work in Congress and for his later service as United States Ambassador to France during World War I, as well as for his early advocacy of using aircraft for postal delivery, which earned him recognition as the “Father of Air Mail.”

Sharp was born in Mount Gilead, Morrow County, Ohio, on March 14, 1859. In his youth he moved with his mother and her parents to Elyria, Ohio, where the family occupied the Starr-Worthington home on Washington Avenue. Elyria and Lorain County would remain the central geographic focus of his personal, professional, and political life, and he would later be remembered as one of only two residents of Elyria to serve in Congress and one of two Lorain Countians, along with Myron T. Herrick, to serve as United States Ambassador to France in the early twentieth century.

Sharp pursued a legal education at the University of Michigan, graduating with an LL.B. from the Law Department in 1881. After his admission to the bar, he returned to Elyria to practice law. In addition to his legal work, he entered local industry and engaged in the manufacture of charcoal, pig iron, and chemicals, reflecting the industrial development of northern Ohio in that era. His combination of legal training and business experience helped establish his standing in Lorain County and provided a foundation for his entry into public office.

Sharp’s formal public career began at the county level. From 1885 to 1888 he served as prosecuting attorney of Lorain County, Ohio, an elected position in which he gained experience in public law enforcement and local administration. He became increasingly active in Democratic Party politics, serving as a Democratic presidential elector in 1892 and standing as the Democratic candidate for Congress in 1900. Although unsuccessful in that early congressional bid, he remained a prominent figure in party affairs and continued his legal and manufacturing pursuits in Elyria.

Sharp was elected as a Democrat to the United States House of Representatives and served in the Sixty-first, Sixty-second, and Sixty-third Congresses, representing Ohio from 1909 to 1915. His service in Congress thus extended over three terms during a significant period in American history, encompassing the presidency of William Howard Taft and the early years of Woodrow Wilson’s administration. As a member of the House of Representatives, he participated in the legislative process, represented the interests of his Ohio constituents, and contributed to national policy debates. During this time he became particularly noted for his vision of using aircraft for postal delivery. He crafted legislation to advance this goal, and his efforts were eventually successful in securing the passage of measures that laid the groundwork for the development of air mail service, leading to his later recognition as the Father of Air Mail.

Although his elected congressional service is often dated as running from 1909 to 1915, Sharp resigned his seat in 1914 during the Sixty-third Congress to accept a diplomatic appointment. President Woodrow Wilson selected him to serve as United States Ambassador to France, a post of growing importance as Europe descended into World War I. Sharp presented his credentials and served in Paris through the critical war years, remaining in office until April 14, 1919. In this capacity he represented American interests at a time of profound international upheaval, working with French officials and other Allied representatives during the conflict and in the period immediately preceding the formal peace negotiations.

After completing his diplomatic service, Sharp returned to Elyria, Ohio. He withdrew from public office and engaged in literary pursuits, while maintaining his longstanding ties to the community where he had built his legal and business career. His prominence as a local and national figure endured, and his life’s work continued to be associated with both his congressional advocacy for aviation in postal service and his wartime ambassadorship in France.

William Graves Sharp died in Elyria, Ohio, on November 17, 1922. He was interred in Ridgelawn Cemetery in Elyria. The family’s Elyria home on Washington Avenue, long associated with Sharp and his relatives, was purchased in 1945 by the Washington Avenue Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) congregation, which was then relocating from Elyria’s Second Street. The Sharp home was incorporated into the church’s new building, dedicated in 1951, and many of the mansion’s interior architectural details—including marble fireplaces, decorative ceiling moldings, plaster reliefs on the parlor walls, and a grand staircase—were preserved. Through the efforts of the Elyria Historical Association, the Lorain County Historical Society, the Ohio History Connection, and the Washington Avenue Christian Church, an Ohio historical marker was unveiled on the Washington Avenue property on September 3, 2020, with approximately fifty people in attendance. Remarks at the unveiling were delivered by Frank Whitfield, Mayor of the City of Elyria; Bill Bird, President of the Elyria Historical Association; Kerri Broome, Executive Director of the Lorain County Historical Society; and the Rev. Nathan A. Russell, Senior Pastor, commemorating Sharp’s legacy as a lawyer, legislator, diplomat, and civic leader.