Edward W. Pou

Who was Edward W. Pou?

Edward William Pou, was an American politician, serving in the United States Congress.

Born in Tuskegee, Alabama, September 9, 1863, he moved to North Carolina with his parents in 1867, where he attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and studied law. After practicing law in Smithfield, North Carolina for a number of years, he served as a Democratic U.S. Representative from the North Carolina 4th District, 1901–1934, and served as chairman of the Committee on Claims and then of the Rules Committee. He died in Washington, D.C., April 1, 1934, while still in office.

Asked how to say his name, he told The Literary Digest "Though my name is spelled Pou, it is pronounced as though it were spelled pew or pugh."