Legislator Details
Vital Records Information:
Marital Information:
married; children: 2, Elbert and Ernest
Number of Children: 2
Background
Education:
AB, Swarthmore College;
LLB, Yale University, cum lade
Biographical Sketch:
Admitted to practice law in TN and NY; former deputy commissioner or public works, Virgin Islands; former deputy recorder of deeds, District of Columbia; president 15th District Democratic Club, Inc.; member of board of 15th District Official Democratic organization; precinct delegate [8 years]; delegate to the Democratic National Convention, 1960 and the 1962 Conference on Equal Employment Opportunities, Washington, D.C.; member of Berea Lutheran Church, Missouri Synod and served on the board of education of Berea Lutheran Church, president of congregation [3 terms] and alternate member of the board of appeals [3 years]; member of Phi Beta Kappa, Booker T. Washington Trade Association and Trade Union Leadership Council. Went into retail hardware dealing.
Notable Facts:
"According to The Associated Press, ... a detective investigating a complaint against Mr. West discovered his fingerprints matched those of a felon who served time in three prisons under different names for burglary, larceny and forgery. “Daniel West,” in fact, was a New York attorney who died in 1961. Whoever it was that won those two elections to the Michigan House stole Mr. West’s identity.
Once “Mr. West” was revealed to be a fraud, the House, in the only known time to have taken such action, refused to seat him when the Legislature convened for the start of the 1965-66 term, and the seat was declared vacant... A warrant for the arrest of “Mr. West” was issued in July 1965, but he fled and did not show up in U.S. District Court."