William R. Webb

William Robert Webb (November 11, 1842 – December 19, 1926) also known as "Sawney" Webb, was an educator who founded

Webb married Emma Clary on April 23, 1873, and together they produced eight children: William Robert, Jr. (1874–1960), Alla (1875–1944), John Stanford (1877–1951), Adeline (1879–1968), Daniel Clary (1881–1954), Susan (1882–1980), Emma (1884–1973), and Thompson (1887–1975). His eldest son Will succeeded him as principal at the Webb School, and his youngest son Thompson founded the Webb School of California (now The Webb Schools) in Claremont in 1922.^[3]

He was elected to the United States Senate by the Tennessee General Assembly to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Senator Robert Love Taylor and served from January 24 to March 3, 1913. He was the last Confederate soldier to do so. Always a prohibitionist, he delivered his one speech in the Senate to support a law prohibiting interstate transport of liquor.^[3] He then returned to Bell Buckle and his school, dying there in 1926^[4] and being buried at Hazelwood Cemetery.

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