Pine Bluff daily graphic. (Pine Bluff, Ark.) 1893-1942, 1914-09-27
Little Known Outside of
Texas About Newest Mem
Der of Cabinet.
A TRUE SOUTHERNER
Born in Mississippi OF Virginia Par
entage, PC Was Educated in
Tennessee and Worked
in Texas.

washington, Sept. 26.-Who is
Thomas Wat Gregory? This was the
question recently asked throughout
the country when President Wilson
appointed Mr.. Gregory attorney
general of the United States.
Down in the southwest, or more
particularly in Texas, the question
was answered: "Why Gregory is
that Austin lawyer who got the Oil
trust" In Washington, the most fire.
uuent answer was: MIR. Gregory was
special assistant attorney in the de-
partment of justice
But neither answer was complete
and it was found that millions or
persons in this country know little
OF Thomas Watt Gregory. In Aus
tin and throughout Texas he was we'll
known and in Washington his name
carried weight. But few could tell
how Mr.. Gregory climbed to be caief
legal adviser to the president
Those anxious to learn about Mr..
Gregory turned to the congressional
directory which contained life his
tories Of some public men. But the
directory merely showed that T. W.
GREGORY was one among twelve
special assistant attorneys in the de-
apartment of justice and lived at Ivy
H. street in this city. But shortly
after MIR. Gregory became attorney
general on September 3, an official
of the department OF justice procured
Mi. Gregory's history and placed it
on file.
MississipDian by Birth.
This history shows that Mr.. Gregory
was born on November 6, 1861, at
Charlottesville, Loundes county,. Miss.
His birthplace is near the Alabama
line His father was DR.. Gregory,
who was native of Mecklenburg
county. Va. DR.. Gregory was a gra-
duate OF Emery and Henry college.
Va. and entered the Confederate
army as a captain at the outbreak OF
the war between the state. He serv-
cd in the 35th Mississippi regiment
but died shortly after the battle OF
Cornith
Mr. Gregory's mother was Miss
Mary Cornelia Watt, a native OF COL
nmbia. S. c. When her husband died.
she took her young son, the present
attorney general, to the home OF hef
father, Maj. Thomas Watt, under
whose roof. young Gregory grew to
manhood Maj Watt was a planter OF
prominence in Oktibbeha county,
Miss. AT the close of the war he
sold his plantation and moved TO
/. Staikville, Miss, where he lived Tor
a few years before purchasing
another plantation in Clay county,
Miss. He also sold this plantation
and moved to West Point MISS,
where his grandson, Thomas Watt
Gregory grew up.
The youth that was to become at
tcrney-general studied first at the
village school in West Point and at
the age of fifteen years began studying
at boarding school at CulleoKa,
Maury county, Tenn. 1t was at the
boarding school that he prepared Tor
college. He entered the Southwestern
tpresbyterion University in Clarks-
Vile, Tenn, in 1881 and finished
the course in 1883, being the first
student who ever graduated after
two wears study in that institution.
He won the orators medal and other
honors.
In the fall of 1883 Gregory entered
upon a special course OF study at
the University OF Virginia and won
the Jefferson debaters' medal. In
1854 he went West and located IN
Austin, Texas. He was graduated
from the law department OF the
University OF Texas in 1885, and be-
gan the practice of law in Austin in
the fall OF that year. He practised
alone until 1900 and then he formed
: a partnership with r. l.. Bats. They
worke dunder the firm name or