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MONONGALIA COUNTY WEST VIRGINIA
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Submitted to the West Virginia Biographies Project by:
Tina Hursh
frog158@juno.com
January 9, 2000
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The History of West Virginia, Old and New
Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc.
Chicago and New York, Volume II
pg. 76
Roscoe Parriott Posten, one of the successful younger members of the
Morgantown bar, and prosecuting attorney for Monongalia County, has been
engaged in practice since 1915, with the exception of the time that he spent in
the army during the World war, and his general popularity and the confidence in
which he is held were evidenced in 1920, when he was elected to his present
office by the largest majority ever accorded a candidate in this county.
Mr. Posten was born May 22, 1889, at Newburg, Preston County, West Virginia, a
son of Dr. Smith J. and Emma Georgia (Parriott) Posten. His paternal
grandparents, Nicholas and Rosana (Graham) Posten, were descended from two old
Virginia families, while his maternal grandparents, William E. and Sarah
Elizabeth (Crawford) Parriott, were also of Old Dominion stock. Dr. Smith J.
Posten attended West Virginia University in 1882, and was graduated from the
College of Physicians and Surgeons of Baltimore, Maryland, with the degree of
Doctor of Medicine in 1888. From that year he practiced at Newburg, Preston
County, West Virginia, until 1894, when he removed to Morgantown and spent the
rest of his life in practice at this place. In 1888 he married Emma Georgia
Parriott, who was born in Marshall County, West Virginia, July 14, 1863, and
who still survives him as a resident of Morgantown.
Roscoe P. Posten attended the public schools of Newburg until he was thirteen
years of age, and was graduated from the Morgantown High School with the class
of 1908. He then entered the University of West Virginia, where he received
his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1912, and as a member of the graduating class
of 1915 was given the degree of Bachelor of Laws. In July of the same year
he was admitted to the bar of West Virginia and entered practice at
Morgantown. During the next several years he made rapid progress in his
profession, but his career was interrupted by the World war, and May 28, 1918,
he volunteered and went with the drafted men to Camp Lee, Virginia, where he was
shortly afterwards assigned to the Central Officers' Training School. The
following October 15th he was commissioned second Lieutenant and ordered to
Camp Upton, New York, where, until his honorable discharge January 31, 1919, he
was engaged in drilling detachments for overseas service. Upon leaving the army
he returned to Morgantown and again engaged in practice, and at the November,
1920, election was chosen as prosecuting attorney for Monongalia County on the
republican ticket. As noted, his majority was the largest ever given a
candidate in Monongalia County, and he has thus far vindicated the confidence
and faith of the voters by giving them excelent service in his official
position.
Mr. Posten is a member of Morgantown Union Lodge No. 4, A.F. and A.M.;
Morgantown Commandery No. 18, K.T.; West Virginia Consistory No. 1, r. and S.M.;
Osiris Temple, A.A.O.N.M.S.; the Morgantown Masonic Lodge No. 411, B.P.O.E.,
and the Beta Theta Pi college fraternity.
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