James Stuart McKnight
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James Stuart McKnight (November 15, 1884 – December 25, 1950) was a
National Guard National Guard is the name used by a wide variety of current and historical uniformed organizations in different countries. The original National Guard was formed during the French Revolution around a cadre of defectors from the French Guards. Nat ...
officer who served in
World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, an attorney and a member of the
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in
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, in 1931 and 1932. He also served in the
California State Assembly The California State Assembly is the lower house of the California State Legislature, the upper house being the California State Senate. The Assembly convenes, along with the State Senate, at the California State Capitol in Sacramento. The A ...
for the 75th district from 1915 to 1917.


Biography

A native of
Green Bay, Wisconsin Green Bay is a city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The county seat of Brown County, it is at the head of Green Bay (known locally as "the bay of Green Bay"), a sub-basin of Lake Michigan, at the mouth of the Fox River. It is above sea lev ...
, McKnight graduated from
Los Angeles High School Los Angeles High School is the oldest Public education#United States, public high school in the Southern California, Southern California Region and in the Los Angeles Unified School District. Its colors are royal blue and white and the teams are ...
and from the
University of Southern California Law School The USC Gould School of Law, located in Los Angeles, California, is the law school of the University of Southern California. The oldest law school in the Southwestern United States, USC Law traces its beginnings to 1896 and became affiliated with ...
."Military Services Set for James S. M'Knight," ''Los Angeles Times, December 28, 1950
/ref> In March 1919, McKnight was married in Paris, France, to motion picture actress
Anita King Anita King (August 14, 1884 – June 10, 1963) was an American stunt driver, actress, and thoroughbred racehorse owner. In 1915, she became the first woman to drive a car unaccompanied across the United States, with her 49-day journey f ...
. McKnight was known as a sharp dresser. "His clothes are always well pressed, his hanky peeks from the top coat pocket, his glasses are always polished, and his fair hair is always neatly brushed back from his high forehead." McKnight was a
Mason Mason may refer to: Occupations * Mason, brick mason, or bricklayer, a craftsman who lays bricks to construct brickwork, or who lays any combination of stones, bricks, cinder blocks, or similar pieces * Stone mason, a craftsman in the stone-cut ...
. He died on December 25, 1950, and was buried with military services at Sawtelle Cemetery in
West Los Angeles West Los Angeles is an area within the city of Los Angeles, California. The residential and commercial neighborhood is divided by the Interstate 405 freeway, and each side is sometimes treated as a distinct neighborhood, mapped differently by di ...
. McKnight was survived by his widow, Velma, and a daughter, also named Velma, and a brother, Robert B. McKnight.


Professional life


Military

After earning his
law degree A law degree is an academic degree conferred for studies in law. Such degrees are generally preparation for legal careers. But while their curricula may be reviewed by legal authority, they do not confer a license themselves. A legal license is gra ...
from the
University of Southern California The University of Southern California (USC, SC, or Southern Cal) is a Private university, private research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Founded in 1880 by Robert M. Widney, it is the oldest private research university in C ...
in 1908, McKnight was associated with Ralph A. Chase in a law practice for ten years. When the
California National Guard The California National Guard is part of the National Guard of the United States, a dual federal-state military reserve force. The CA National Guard has three components: the CA Army National Guard, CA Air National Guard, and CA State Guard. ...
was called up for duty on the
Mexico–United States border The Mexico–United States border ( es, frontera Estados Unidos–México) is an international border separating Mexico and the United States, extending from the Pacific Ocean in the west to the Gulf of Mexico in the east. The border traver ...
in 1916, he joined the Guard as a
lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often sub ...
, serving with the 7th California Infantry at
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."McKnight for High State Guard Post," ''Los Angeles Times,'' November 18, 1919, page II-1
/ref> "In March, 1917, he was made a major, and in August he was sent to
Camp Kearny Camp Kearny was a U.S. military base (first Army, later Navy) in San Diego County, California, on the site of the current Marine Corps Air Station Miramar. It operated from 1917 to 1946. The base was named in honor of Brigadier General Stephen W ...
with the Third Battalion, becoming first commander of the camp and being in charge until
Frederick Smith Strong Frederick may refer to: People * Frederick (given name), the name Nobility Anhalt-Harzgerode * Frederick, Prince of Anhalt-Harzgerode (1613–1670) Austria * Frederick I, Duke of Austria (Babenberg), Duke of Austria from 1195 to 1198 * Frederi ...
took command of the division. . . . in July, 1918, Col. McKnight went overseas and attended the School of the Line at Langres, France. Returning to the One Hundred and Sixtieth Infantry he trained officers for a time and was then sent to the front with reserves for the First Army. When the
Armistice An armistice is a formal agreement of warring parties to stop fighting. It is not necessarily the end of a war, as it may constitute only a cessation of hostilities while an attempt is made to negotiate a lasting peace. It is derived from the La ...
was signed he was assigned to duty with
Herbert Hoover Herbert Clark Hoover (August 10, 1874 – October 20, 1964) was an American politician who served as the 31st president of the United States from 1929 to 1933 and a member of the Republican Party, holding office during the onset of the Gr ...
in Paris for service in the American food relief work." According to his wife, Anita, McKnight was promoted to lieutenant colonel in May 1919 and was retained in an executive capacity in Paris when "the
American Relief Administration American Relief Administration (ARA) was an American relief mission to Europe and later post-revolutionary Russia after World War I. Herbert Hoover, future president of the United States, was the program director. The ARA's immediate predeces ...
began to close all its missions and all financial matters were taken over by the United States Grain Corporation.""English Tots Most Ill-Fed," ''Los Angeles Times,'' October 12, 1919, page II-7
/ref> He was appointed assistant
adjutant-general An adjutant general is a military chief administrative officer. France In Revolutionary France, the was a senior staff officer, effectively an assistant to a general officer. It was a special position for lieutenant-colonels and colonels in staf ...
of the California
National Guard National Guard is the name used by a wide variety of current and historical uniformed organizations in different countries. The original National Guard was formed during the French Revolution around a cadre of defectors from the French Guards. Nat ...
by Governor William Stephens on November 17, 1919. He later became president of the Los Angeles Infantry Regiment Association but resigned that position under duress when it was charged he had demanded a ten percent cut from a fund-raiser hired by the association. An investigation was undertaken by a board of inquiry and, after fifteen witnesses were heard, at the end McKnight was ordered by his superior, Adjutant-General Boree, to resign. His resignation in 1921 caused him to lose his National Guard rank of colonel; he "was a major in the Federal service before being appointed by the governor." He did, however, use the title of colonel when a member of the
American Legion The American Legion, commonly known as the Legion, is a non-profit organization of U.S. war War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militi ...
in
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, and at other times.


Civilian

McKnight returned to his law practice in Los Angeles. In June 1930, McKnight represented Mrs. Anna Butcher, a sister of pioneer temperance advocate
Carrie Nation Caroline Amelia Nation (November 25, 1846June 9, 1911), often referred to by Carrie, Carry Nation, Carrie A. Nation, or Hatchet Granny, was a radical member of the temperance movement, which opposed alcohol before the advent of Prohibition. Nat ...
in a competence hearing. In June 1931 McKnight unseated incumbent councilman
Ernest L. Webster Ernest L. Webster (1889–1954) was a pioneer automobile dealer in Los Angeles, California, and representative of the 3rd District on the Los Angeles City Council between 1927 and 1931. Biography Webster was born in 1889 in Youngstown, Ohio, to W ...
in a victory in the Third District, which represented "much of
Wilshire Boulevard Wilshire Boulevard is a prominent boulevard in the Los Angeles area of Southern California, extending from Ocean Avenue in the city of Santa Monica east to Grand Avenue in the Financial District of downtown Los Angeles. One of the principal ...
,"
West Hollywood West Hollywood is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Incorporated in 1984, it is home to the Sunset Strip. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 U.S. Census, its population was 35,757. It is considered one of the most ...
, Westwood and Sawtelle."M.Knight Path Is Thorny One," ''Los Angeles Times,'' May 20, 1933, page A-5
/ref> McKnight was one of the six council members who in July 1931 lost a vote to appeal a judge's decision ordering an end to racial restrictions in city-operated swimming pools. The pools had previously been restricted by race to certain days or hours. An appeal would have delayed or ended desegregation. In April 1933, a
jury A jury is a sworn body of people (jurors) convened to hear evidence and render an impartiality, impartial verdict (a Question of fact, finding of fact on a question) officially submitted to them by a court, or to set a sentence (law), penalty o ...
in Judge
Fletcher Bowron Fletcher Bowron (August 13, 1887 – September 11, 1968) was an American lawyer, judge, and politician. He was the 35th mayor of Los Angeles, California, from September 26, 1938, until June 30, 1953. He was at the time the city's longest-serving ...
's court found him innocent of a criminal charge that he had lied to a
grand jury A grand jury is a jury—a group of citizens—empowered by law to conduct legal proceedings, investigate potential criminal conduct, and determine whether criminal charges should be brought. A grand jury may subpoena physical evidence or a pe ...
about the renewal of a city contract with a
Fontana, California Fontana is a city in San Bernardino County, California. Founded by Azariel Blanchard Miller in 1913, it remained essentially rural until World War II, when entrepreneur Henry J. Kaiser built a large steel mill in the area. It is now a regional h ...
, company for garbage disposal,"M'Knight Cleared of Perjury," ''Los Angeles Times,'' April 15, 1933, page A-1
/ref> but in 1934 he and former Councilman
Roy Donley Roy Laurence Donley (June 15, 1885 – September 25, 1939) was a businessman who became a member of the Berkeley, California, Board of Park Commissioners and then the Los Angeles City Council, from 1931 to 1933. Biography Donley was born June 15 ...
were tried on a charge of agreeing to accept a $10,000 bribe to influence their votes on the garbage contract. Both were acquitted. McKnight lost his seat in the 1933 election to
Stephen W. Cunningham Stephen W. Cunningham (July 29, 1886 – July 28, 1956) was the first graduate manager at the Southern Branch of the University of California, later UCLA, and a member of the Los Angeles City Council from 1933 to 1941. Personal life Cunningham ...
, graduate manager of the
Associated Students A students' union, also known by many other names, is a student organization present in many colleges, universities, and high schools. In higher education, the students' union is often accorded its own building on the campus, dedicated to social, ...
at
UCLA The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the California St ...
. In December 1934, McKnight was found guilty of four counts of mailing " defamatory and libelous matter" about Cunningham through the mail and was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge aul JohnMcCormick to six months in jail, suspended for two years."M'Knight Convicted," ''Los Angeles Times,'' December 20, 1934, page A-1
/ref>


References

Access to the ''Los Angeles Times'' links requires the use of a library card.


External links


Photograph of Lieutenant McKnight and a recruiting committee of National Guard officers, February 1917
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mcknight, James Stuart 20th-century American lawyers People of the American Relief Administration Los Angeles City Council members 1950 deaths Politicians from Green Bay, Wisconsin 1884 births USC Gould School of Law alumni United States Army personnel of World War I 20th-century American politicians Members of the California State Assembly California city council members