William Madison Whittington
c. 1917
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Mississippi's 3rd district
In office March 4, 1925 (1925-03-04) – January 3, 1951 (1951-01-03)
Preceded by	William Y. Humphreys
Succeeded by	Frank E. Smith
Member of the Mississippi State Senate from the 27th district
In office January 1, 1916 – August 16, 1924
Commissioner, Greenwood, Mississippi
In office January 1, 1907 – January 1, 1911
Personal details
Born	May 4, 1878 Little Springs, Mississippi, U.S.
Died	August 20, 1962(1962-08-20) (aged 84) Greenwood, Mississippi, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Education	University of Mississippi Mississippi College
Profession	Attorney

William Madison Whittington (May 4, 1878 – August 20, 1962) was an American politician from Mississippi.^[1][2] Whittington was a Representative to the 69th United States Congress in 1925, and the twelve succeeding Congresses (March 4, 1925 – January 3, 1951) as a Democrat.^[2] In Congress, his nickname was "Mr. Flood Control."^[3]

Whittington was bornin Little Springs, Mississippi.^[1][2] He was the son of Margaret Isaphene McGehee and Alexander Madison Whittington, a farmer.^[1][3]

He attended the public schools of Franklin County, Mississippi.^[2] He attended Mississippi College at Clinton, graduating in 1898.^[1][2] He then studied law at the University of Mississippi, graduating in 1899.^[1][2] While at Mississippi, he was a member of St. Anthony Hall, also known as the Fraternity of Delta Psi.^[4]

He was admitted to the bar in 1899. He moved to Roxie, Mississippi on January 1, 1901 where he was principal of a school and also started practicing law.^[1][2][3] In Roxie, he was also a member of the board of aldermen.^[3] In January 1904, he moved to Greenwood, Mississippi, where he continued the practice of law and also started cotton farming.^[1][2] He became a local commissioner for Greenwood from January 1, 1907, to January 1, 1911.^[1][2] In 1914, he started his own private law practice.^[3]

He was elected to the Mississippi State Senate from the 27th District from January 1, 1916, to January 1, 1920.^[2][5] He was reelected in 1923 for a four-year term and served from January 1 to August 16, 1924 when he resigned.^[2] While with the legislature, he showed his prohibitionist leanings when he authored the state's first Bone Dry Law.^[1]

In August 1924 he left the state legislature when he accepted the Democratic nomination for Representative in the United States Congress.^[1][2] Due to Jim Crow laws, Whittington was elected to the House by just 4,000 people, despite living in a district of 435,000.^[6]

After the Great Flood of 1927 Whittington authored and successfully forwarded the Flood Control Act of 1928.^[1] He served on the Committee of Public Works; the Reclamation Committee, Roads Committee, and Expenditures Committee in the Executive Department; and the Flood Control Committee which is chaired in 1936 and for the next twelve years.^[1][2][3][7] Virtually all legislation on flood control between 1928 and 1951 was authored by Whittington.^[3]

In 1940 and, again, in 1941, Whittington wanted to run for the United States Senate, but was talked out of it by friends.^[1] He retired in 1951 and returned to Greenwood where he practiced law with his son Whittington Jr.^[1][3]

He served as delegate to the Democratic National Conventions in 1920, 1928, 1936, 1940, and 1948.^[2] He was a member of the American Bar Association, the Lefore County Bar Association, and the Mississippi State Bar Association.^[7]

• His papers are archived at the University of Mississippi.^[1]
• Whittington Hall at Mississippi College was named in his honor.^[7]
• He was named Alumni of the Year at Mississippi College.^[7]
• Mississippi College gave Whittington an honorary Doctor of Laws degree.^[7]
• Whittington Park in Greenwood, Mississippi is named in his honor.^[7]

Whittington married Lena May McGehee on September 7, 1904.^[1] They had no children and she died in September 1907.^[1] He married Anna Ward Aven of Clinton, Mississippi on July 20, 1910.^[1][7] She was the first female to graduate from Mississippi College where her father was the president.^[1][7] Their children were Charles Aven Whittington, Mary Whittington, and William Madison Whittington Jr.^[1]

He taught Sunday school at the Baptist Church and became president of the Mississippi State Baptist Convention in 1910.^[1][7] He was also a member of the Elks, the Kiwanis Club, the Shriners, and was a 33rd degree Mason.^[1][7] The Whittingtons gave the Avon Fine Arts Building to Mississippi College.^[7] In Greenwood, he donated 40 acres for park and built a pavilion there; it was named Whittinton Park.^[7]

In his later years, Whittington lost most of his eyesight and could not climb stairs.^[1] In 1962, he died at his home in Greenwood at the age of 84.^[1][3] He was buried in Odd Fellows Cemetery.^[2]