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John William Poindexter
Member From: 1875 - 1877
- Birth Date: ca. 1848 Birth Place:Louisa County, VA
- Death Date: February 16, 1889
- Gender: Male Race: African American
- Spouse:
- Children:
- Religion:
- Education: Howard University (1872)
- Military Service:
- Occupation/Profession: Teacher
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Additional Info Links:
Bio from Virginia's Martin Luther King Jr. Commission
Bio from Encyclopedia Virginia
- Bio: John William Poindexter represented Louisa County in the House of Delegates from 1875 to 1877. Born free, little is known about his childhood. By 1860 he may have been working as a stemmer for a tobacconist near Louisa Court House. After the American Civil War (1861–1865), he became a teacher sponsored by the New England Freedmen’s Aid Society in schools operated by the Freedmen’s Bureau. He reportedly attended the teacher preparatory department at Howard University, in Washington, D.C. In 1875 he won election to a term representing the county in the House of Delegates. He opposed a poll tax requirement to vote, spoke in support of allocating funds to the Hampton Normal and Agricultural Institute, and argued against requiring payment for services at the state school for the deaf and blind. Poindexter refused the Republican nomination for another House term in 1877 and while receiving the nomination again in 1879 he lost in the general election. He remained active in the Republican Party during the 1880s, being part of a delegation that visited President James A. Garfield, attending the national convention as an at-large delegate in 1880, and holding a patronage position as a deputy collector of taxes. Poindexter continued to teach in Louisa County until he died of tuberculosis in 1889.
| Session | District | District Number | Party | Leadership | Committees |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1875-1877 | Louisa | Republican | Asylums and Prisons |
*The information within this interactive and searchable application has been researched extensively by the House Clerk’s Office. As with any historical records of this age and breadth, there may be discrepancies and/or inconsistencies within records obtained from a variety of credible sources. Any feedback is encouraged at history@house.virginia.gov.