Hon. William E. ANDREWS, who has filled various positions of public trust in connection with Nebraska and with the federal government, now makes his home in Hastings [NE]. He was born December 17, 1854, near Oskaloosa, Mahaska county, Iowa, a son of George R. and Sarah ANDREWS, the former a farmer by occupation. He supplemented his public school training by study in Simpson College at Indianola, Iowa, and in Parsons College at Fairfield, Iowa, from which institution he was graduated June 10, 1883, with the degree of Bachelor of Arts, while three years later Parson College conferred upon him the Master of Arts degree. he worked as a farm hand for several years, however, before entering college and at different periods engaged in teaching in public schools, also in the Garden Grove (Iowa) Normal School and in different business colleges. In January, 1880, he was chosen superintendent of the schools of Ringgold county, Iowa. While in his senior year at Parsons College, in January, 1885, he was elected a member of the faculty of Hastings College and so continued for eight years or until 1893. He then became private secretary to Hon. Lorenzo CROUTISE, governor of Nebraska, and after two years spent in that position was elected to congress from the fifth Nebraska district, serving from March 4, 1895, until Mary 4, 1897. On the 9th of June of the latter year he became auditor for the United States treasury department. His varied service enabled him to learn the general conditions and needs of the state and federal governments from the executive and legislative points of view. While he was auditor in the treasury department, the volume of business that passed over his desk exceeded one hundred billion dollars and involved a careful study of the Wilson, Dingley, Payne and Underwood tariffs. The excellence of his record is indicted in the fact that not one dollar of that vast amount was ever charged back to the discredit of the office.

On the 1st of September, 1885, at Fairfield, Iowa, Mr. ANDREWS was married to Miss Mira McCOY, a daughter of Laben L. and Alice S. McCOY. Mrs. ANDREWS is a musician and held the chair of voice culture in Hastings College for several years. She was a member of the board of lady managers of the Federation of Women's Clubs of the District of Columbia and is now a member of the board of directors of the General Federation of Women's Clubs, which includes not only clubs in the United States but also in Canada and other countries, the organization being international.

Mr. ANDREWS has always been a stalwart republican and adheres to the teachings of WASHINGTON, HAMILTON, LINCOLN, and McKINLEY. He belongs to various fraternal organizations and has passed up through both rites of Masonry, taking the various degrees save the thirty-third of the Scottish Rite. He is also an Odd Fellow, Knight of Phythias, United Workman and Modern Woodman of America. He holds membership in the Presbyterian church, in the work of which he is actively interested. His influence has been a potent factor in advancing the welfare and progress of the state along educational, political and moral lines. He has never been content to choose the second best, nor has he ever deviated from the high ideals which are factors in bringing about a more advanced civilization.

William Ezekiel ANDREWS, a Representative from Nebraska; born near Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa, December 17, 1854; became an orphan in early youth. He worked as a farm hand, attending the country schools in the winter. He graduated from Simpson College, Indianola, Iowa, in 1874, and from Parsons College, Fairfield, Iowa, in 1875. He was elected superintendent of schools of Ringgold County in 1879, and later was a member of the faculty of Hastings College [Nebraska] from January 1, 1885, to January 1, 1893; elected vice president of Hastings College in 1889 and president of the Nebraska State Teachers’ Association in 1890. He served as private secretary to the Governor of Nebraska in 1893 and 1894; was an unsuccessful candidate for election in 1892 to the Fifty-third Congress; elected as a Republican to the Fifty-fourth Congress [March 4, 1895-March 3, 1897]; was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1896 to the Fifty-fifth Congress; auditor for the Treasury Department, Washington, D.C., 1897-1915; elected to the Sixty-sixth and Sixty-seventh Congresses [March 4, 1919-March 3, 1923]; chairman, Committee on the Election of President, Vice President, and Representatives [Sixty-seventh Congress]; was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1922 to the Sixty-eighth Congress; lived in Washington, D.C., until his death there on January 19, 1942. Interment was made in Parkview Cemetery, Hastings, Nebraska.

Wm. E. ANDREWS, Nebraska State Representative of Hastings, Nebraska, was born near Oskaloosa, Mahaska county, Iowa. His parents died without an estate when he was a mere lad; hence he was compelled to rely entirely upon his own energies for support from early years. He served as a farm hand several years during the farming seasons, and attended country schools occasionally in winters. He entered Simpson College, Indianola, Iowa, in 1874, and spent part of his time there as a student until 1880, the remainder being devoted to farm work and teaching country schools, to secure funds necessary to defray college expenses. He was elected superintendent of the schools of Ringgold county, Iowa, in 1879, from which office he retired in 1881, to accept the assistant principalship of the Garden Grove (Iowa) Academy; was a member of the Iowa state convention that elected BLAINE delegated to the national convention of 1880; graduated from Parsons College, Fairfield, Iowa, in June, 1885, having accepted on the first day of that year an election to the chair of Latin and History in Hastings College, Hastings, Nebraska.

On September 1, 1885, he was happily married to Miss Mira McCOY, of Fairfield, Iowa; was elected vice president of Hastings College in January, 1889, and president of the Nebraska State Teachers' Association in 1890; was a member of the republican state central committee, 1MH-2. He was nominated in 1892 by the republicans of the fifth Nebraska congressional district, to make the canvass against W. A. McKEIGHAN, fusionist, whose former purality of 10,388 was reduced to 7,128 votes; resigned his position in Hastings College January 1, 1893, to become private secretary to Hon. Lorenzo CROUOSE, governor of Nebraska; was renominated by acclamation in 1894, and elected as a republican to the Fifty- fourth Congress, receiving 16,410 votes, against 15,450 for W. A. McKEIGHAN, fusionist, 175 for T. F. ASHBY, straight-democrat, and 651 for O. C. HUBBELL, prohibitionist.

SOURCES:
BURTON, William R. and LEWIS, David J.   Past and Present of Adams County, Nebraska  Vol. II, Pp. 288 - 289. S.J. Clarke Publ. Co., Chicago. 1916.

PIPER, J. A., Secretary of State. Roster of Soldiers, Sailors, and Marines of the War of 1812, Mexican War, and the War of the Rebellion, Residing in Nebraska, June 1, 1895 p. 140. Nebraska Newspaper Union. York, Nebraska. 1895.

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Transcriptions by Sharon R. Becker, November of 2008 & June of 2009