John Pool

Who was John Pool?

John Pool was a Republican U.S. Senator from the state of North Carolina between 1868 and 1873. He was also the uncle of Congressman Walter Freshwater Pool.

He was born near Elizabeth City, North Carolina and was tutored at home until his attendance at the University of North Carolina, where he studied law. He graduated and was admitted to the bar in 1847, practicing in his home city until serving in the North Carolina Senate in 1856 and 1858. Pool ran against Gov. John W. Ellis in the 1860 election as head of the "Opposition Party," which consisted primarily of former Whigs, like himself.

He was elected by the legislature to serve in the U.S. Senate as a Republican once North Carolina was readmitted in 1868. After his single term, he practiced law in Washington, D.C. until his death in 1884. He is buried in Oak Hill Cemetery.