Quick Facts
Biography
Laurence Hawley Watres (July 18, 1882 – February 6, 1964) was a Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania.
Early life and education
Laurence H. Watres was born in Scranton, Pennsylvania. He graduated from Princeton University in 1904 and from Harvard Law School in 1907. He was admitted to the bar in 1907 and commenced practice in Scranton.
Military service
During the First World War, Watres served as a captain in the 108th Machine Gun Battalion of the U.S. 28th Infantry Division. He was promoted to major and discharged on May 28, 1919. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross and the Purple Heart Medal. After the war, Watres assisted in reorganizing the 109th Ninth Infantry Regiment of the Pennsylvania National Guard and served as lieutenant colonel.
Congressional Service
Watres was elected as a Republican to the Sixty-eighth and to the three succeeding Congresses. He was not a candidate for renomination in 1930. He resumed the practice of law in Scranton until 1951 when he moved to East Orange, New Jersey. He died while vacationing in Puerto Rico, and is interred in Glenwood Mausoleum, South Abington Township, Pennsylvania.
Community Service
Laurence served as Executive Officer of the Order of DeMolay in Pennsylvania from 1939 to 1951. He would also serve as Grand Master of the International Supreme Council in 1947-48.