Quick Facts
Biography
Garrett Lee Withers (June 21, 1884 – April 30, 1953), a Democrat, represented Kentucky in the United States Senate and United States House of Representatives.
Withers was born on a farm in Webster County, Kentucky. He was admitted to the bar in 1908 and was a practicing attorney in Webster County, 1911-1953. He was elected clerk of Webster County Circuit Court and served 1910-1912, and was master commissioner there 1913-1917. He served as a member of the Kentucky Highway Commission 1932-1936; as a Referee in Bankruptcy 1941-1945; and as an appointed commissioner for the Kentucky Department of Highways 1947-1949. He was appointed on January 20, 1949, as a Democrat to the United States Senate to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Alben W. Barkley to become Vice President of the United States. Withers served from January 20, 1949, to November 26, 1950. Withers was not a candidate for election to the seat to which he was appointed.
Withers won election to the Kentucky House of Representatives in 1951 and then won a special election (due to the death of Rep. John A. Whitaker) on August 2, 1952 to the United States House of Representatives. He served as a Democrat in the Eighty-second Congress and was reelected to the Eighty-third Congress. He served from August 2, 1952, until his death in the naval hospital at Bethesda, Maryland on April 30, 1953.