Denison attended Marion public schools. He was graduated from Baylor University, Waco, Texas, in 1895, from Yale University, in 1896, and from Columbian University (now George Washington University), Washington, D.C., in 1899.
He was admitted to the bar in 1899 and commenced practice in Marion, Illinois, in 1900 where he formed a law partnership with Warren W. Duncan under the firm name of Duncan & Denison. This relationship continued until June 1, 1903, when Duncan was elected to serve a six year term as Circuit Court Judge. Then alone, and afterwards with Judge Edward M. Spiller, under the firm name of Denison & Spiller until Spiller’s death in 1934.
Denison also engaged in the banking business for one year under his father.
Denison was elected as a Republican to the Sixty-fourth and to the seven succeeding Congresses (March 4, 1915-March 3, 1931). He was an unsuccessful candidate for re-election in 1930 to the Seventy-second Congress and for election in 1932 to the Seventy-third Congress.
While in Congress he served on the Committee of Labor, and Committee of Mines and Mining, and was a member of the Interstate & Foreign Commerce Committee, one of the most important committees of the House. He supported every preparedness measure for increasing the army and navy during the period immediately preceding WWI and supported every war measure and every war appropriation bill during the war.
He kept in as close touch with the action of congress as any member and never neglected his duty on his committees. His attentiveness to his constituents was proved over and over again during the recent war. No letter from a soldier or soldiers’ friends or relatives was received that didn’t get the promptest attention.
When not in Washington, Congressman Denison would spend his time in Marion, where he maintained a law office in the Marion State and Savings Bank building. He was unmarried and lived with his aged mother at 915 West Main Street where she died in 1946. Edward continued living in the family home.
After his terms of office were served he resumed the general practice of law in Marion and was an unsuccessful candidate for circuit judge of the first judicial circuit of Illinois in 1939.
On March 20, 1950, Jack Giles announced that the new Marion Memorial Hospital would be constructed on the home site of the former Congressman E. E. Denison (the old C.H. Denison home). Groundbreaking was May 31, 1951 and dedication was on May 30, 1953.
Edward died in Carbondale, Illinois, June 17, 1953 at 79 years of age. He was interred in Maplewood Cemetery, Marion, Illinois.
Data from Wikipedia, 1905 Souvenir History, Blue Book of the State of Illinois, Williamson County in the World War; compiled by Sam Lattuca on 03/20/2013)