James Hardin Peterson (February 11, 1894 – March 28, 1978) was a U.S. Representative from

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and ...

Early life and career

Peterson was born in

Batesburg, South Carolina Batesburg-Leesville is a town located in Lexington and Saluda counties, South Carolina, United States. The town's population was 5,362 as of the 2010 census and an estimated 5,415 in 2019. History The town of Batesburg-Leesville was formed in ...

. His family moved to

Lakeland, Florida Lakeland is the most populous city in Polk County, Florida, part of the Tampa Bay area, Tampa Bay Area, located along Interstate 4 east of Tampa, Florida, Tampa. According to the 2020 U.S. Census Bureau release, the city had a population of 112,6 ...

, in 1903, and he attended the public schools there. Peterson graduated from the University of Florida College of Law in 1914. He was

admitted to the bar An admission to practice law is acquired when a lawyer receives a license to practice law. In jurisdictions with two types of lawyer, as with barristers and solicitors, barristers must gain admission to the bar whereas for solicitors there are dist ...

and was a

law clerk A law clerk or a judicial clerk is a person, generally someone who provides direct counsel and assistance to a lawyer or judge by researching issues and drafting legal opinions for cases before the court. Judicial clerks often play significant ...

in the

General Land Office The General Land Office (GLO) was an independent agency of the United States government responsible for public domain lands in the United States. It was created in 1812 to take over functions previously conducted by the United States Department o ...

the same year. He entered private practice in Lakeland in 1915. Peterson was

city attorney A city attorney is a position in city and municipal government in the United States. The city attorney is the attorney representing the municipality. Unlike a district attorney or public defender, who usually handles criminal cases, a city att ...

, in 1916, 1917, and 1919–1932, of Frostproof, Florida from 1918 to 1929, of

Lake Wales, Florida Lake Wales is a city in Polk County, Florida. The population was 14,225 at the 2010 census. , the population estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau is 16,759. It is part of the Lakeland– Winter Haven Metropolitan Statistical Area. Lake Wales i ...

from 1920 to 1930, and of

Eagle Lake, Florida Eagle Lake is a city in Polk County, Florida, United States. The population was 2,255 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Lakeland– Winter Haven Metropolitan Statistical Area. Geography and climate Eagle Lake is located within the Centr ...

from 1923 to 1933. Peterson served as a chief

yeoman Yeoman is a noun originally referring either to one who owns and cultivates land or to the middle ranks of servants in an English royal or noble household. The term was first documented in mid-14th-century England. The 14th century also witn ...

in the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

from 1917 to 1919, during

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

. Peterson served as

prosecuting attorney A prosecutor is a legal representative of the prosecution in states with either the common law adversarial system or the civil law inquisitorial system. The prosecution is the legal party responsible for presenting the case in a criminal trial ...

and county solicitor of

Polk County, Florida Polk County is located in the central portion of the U.S. state of Florida. The county population was 725,046, as of the 2020 census. Its county seat is Bartow, and its largest city is Lakeland. Polk County comprises the Lakeland–Winter H ...

from 1921 to 1932. He served as

special counsel In the United States, a special counsel (formerly called special prosecutor or independent counsel) is a lawyer appointed to investigate, and potentially prosecute, a particular case of suspected wrongdoing for which a conflict of interest ex ...

for the state Department of Agriculture from 1930 to 1932.

Congress

Peterson was elected as a Democrat to the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

from

Florida's 1st congressional district Florida's 1st congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Florida, covering the state's western Panhandle. It includes all of Escambia, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa, and Walton counties and portions of Holmes county. The ...

in the 1932 election, defeating

Herbert J. Drane Herbert Jackson Drane (June 20, 1863 – August 11, 1947) was a U.S. Representative from Florida. Born in Franklin, Kentucky, Drane attended the public schools of Louisville, Kentucky, and Brevards Academy at Franklin, Kentucky. He moved to Ma ...

, who had served in the

United States Congress The United States Congress is the legislature of the federal government of the United States. It is Bicameralism, bicameral, composed of a lower body, the United States House of Representatives, House of Representatives, and an upper body, ...

since 1917. He served in the

73rd Congress The 73rd United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1933, ...

and the eight succeeding Congresses (March 4, 1933 to January 3, 1951). Peterson served as chairman of the Committee on Public Lands during the 78th, 79th, and 81st Congresses). Peterson was not a candidate for renomination in 1950 to the 82nd Congress.

Later career and death

After leaving

Congress A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of ...

, he resumed the practice of law in Lakeland. He served as special counsel for the Territorial Government of Guam, chairman of Commission on Federal Application of Laws to Guam, and chairman and vice chairman of the board of directors of the First State Bank of Lakeland. Peterson died in Lakeland in 1978, and was interred in Roselawn Cemetery.

References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Peterson, Sr. James Hardin 1894 births 1978 deaths 20th-century American politicians People from Batesburg-Leesville, South Carolina People from Lakeland, Florida Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Florida People from Polk County, Florida Fredric G. Levin College of Law alumni

Early life and career

Congress

Later career and death

See also

References