Biography
Rothwell was born on April 24, 1836, near Fulton, Missouri,[1] the youngest son[2] of John Rothwell. He attended common schools, and in 1857, graduated from the University of Missouri at the top of his class.[3] He was admitted to the bar in 1864, after which he commenced practice in Huntsville.[1] For a time, he taught at Mount Pleasant College in Huntsville.[4] In 1873, he moved to Moberly.[5]
Rothwell was a Democrat.[6] For a time, he was Mayor of Hunsville.[4] He served in the United States House of Representatives from March 4, 1879, to March 3, 1881, representing Missouri's 10th district. He lost the following primaries.[1] He was nicknamed "the Garden Sass statesman" and was reportedly elected to Congress by accident.[7] In 1888, he was a presidential elector, as which he voted for Grover Cleveland.[4]
After serving in Congress, Rothwell returned to practicing law in Moberly.[1] He served one term as superintendent of Randolph County and established the county's first public school during his tenure.[4] In January 1889, he was appointed a member of the University of Missouri's board of curators.[5] From 1890 until his death, he served as president of the board.[4] During his tenure, he had ordered the demolition of The Columns following a fire in 1892 and had ordered a group of mules to pull them down. However, local citizens protested their demolition, with a reported fistfight between Rothwell and one Jerry S. Dorsey occurring. He later changed his mind and let the columns stand.[8]
In 1893, Rothwell received an honorary Bachelor of Arts from William Jewell College.[9] He was married and had four children: three sons and a daughter.[2] He died on January 18, 1894, aged 57, in Moberly,[1] from Bright's disease.[3] He was buried at Oakland Cemetery, in Moberly.[6] The Rothwell Gymnasium, an athletic facility at the University of Missouri, is named after him.[10]
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