William S. Forman

William St. John Forman (January 20, 1847 – June 10, 1908) was a U.S. Representative from Illinois.

William St. John Forman
C.M. Bell Studio Collection (Library of Congress)
14th Commissioner of Internal Revenue
In office November 27, 1896 – December 31, 1897
President	Grover Cleveland William McKinley
Preceded by	Joseph S. Miller
Succeeded by	Nathan B. Scott
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Illinois's 18th district
In office March 4, 1889 – March 3, 1895
Preceded by	Jehu Baker
Succeeded by	Frederick Remann
Member of the Illinois Senate
In office 1884-1888
Personal details
Born	(1847-01-20)January 20, 1847 Natchez, Mississippi
Died	June 10, 1908(1908-06-10) (aged 61) Champaign, Illinois
Political party	Democratic

Early life

Born in Natchez, Mississippi, Forman moved with his father to Nashville, Washington County, Illinois, in 1851. He attended the public schools, and Washington Seminary, Richview, Illinois. He studied law, was admitted to the bar in 1870, and commenced practice in Nashville, Illinois.

Career

He served as mayor of Nashville, Illinois from 1878 to 1884, and was a delegate to all State and National Democratic Conventions from 1876 to 1896. He was a member of the Illinois Senate from 1884 to 1888. Forman was elected as a Democrat to the Fifty-first, Fifty-second, and Fifty-third Congresses (March 4, 1889 - March 3, 1895). He served as chairman of the Committee on Militia during the Fifty-third Congress.

Forman moved to East St. Louis, Illinois in 1895, where he resumed practicing law. He was an unsuccessful candidate as a Gold Standard Democrat for election as governor in 1896. He was appointed by President Grover Cleveland as Commissioner of Internal Revenue and served from 1896 to 1897. Forman died in Champaign, Illinois on June 10, 1908. He was interred in Masonic Cemetery, Nashville, Illinois.

References

• United States Congress. "William S. Forman (id: F000275)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress

U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by Jehu Baker	Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Illinois's 18th congressional district 1889–1895	Succeeded by Frederick Remann