Clarence Eugene Hancock (February 13, 1885 – January 3, 1948) was an American attorney and politician from New York. He was most notable for his service as a U.S. Representative from 1927 to 1947. A native of Syracuse, New York, Hancock graduated from Wesleyan University (1906) and New York Law School (1908), then practiced law in Syracuse. A veteran of the Pancho Villa Expedition and World War I, Hancock went on to serve as Syracuse's corporation counsel from 1926 to 1927. A Republican, in 1927 Hancock won a special election for the U.S. House. He was reelected every two years from 1928 to 1944, and served from November 8, 1927, to January 3, 1947. Hancock did not run for reelection in 1946 because of declining health. He died in Washington, D.C., on January 3, 1948, and was buried at Woodlawn Cemetery in Syracuse. Early life Hancock was born in Syracuse, New York, on February 13, 1885, the son of Martha (Connelly) Hancock and Theodore E. Hancock. Theodore Hancock was an attorney and political figure who served as New York Attorney General from 1894 to 1898. Clarence Hancock attended Syracuse's Madison School and graduated from Syracuse Central High School. He then attended Wesleyan University, from which he graduated in 1906, and New York Law School from which he received his LL.B. in 1908. After completing law school, Hancock was admitted to the bar and practiced in Syracuse. Military service As a member of the New York National Guard's 1st Cavalry Regiment, Hancock attained the rank of sergeant and served on the Mexican border during the 1916 Pancho Villa Expedition. During World War I, he served in France with the 104th Machine Gun Battalion, a unit of the 27th Division, and attained the rank of captain as commander of the battalion's Company D. He subsequently served as an assistant to the division's judge advocate, J. Leslie Kincaid. The 27th Division commander, John F. O'Ryan, cited Hancock for bravery during combat at Jonc de Mer Ridge, near Le Cateau-Cambrésis, France, on October 18, 1918. During the fighting, Hancock personally conducted front line reconnaissance to determine the best locations to emplace his guns. While under fire throughout the battle, he maintained liaison with the Infantry units his company supported in order to enable their attack. For his heroism, Hancock received the Citation Star. When this award was converted to the Silver Star in 1932,