 He attended country schools and graduated from Ohio Wesleyan University in 1882, where he was Phi Gamma Delta, and the Cincinnati Law School, where he graduated in 1884.He located in Urbana, Ohio, where he practiced.He was elected in 1887 to represent Champaign County in the 68th General Assembly, and re-elected 1889 and 1891 to the 69th and 70th, from which he resigned.