James Albert Norton (November 11, 1843 – July 24, 1912) was an American educator and

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

veteran who served three terms a

U.S. Representative 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 c ...

from

Ohio Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...

from 1897 to 1903.

Biography

Norton was born in Bettsville, Ohio, and attended the district schools where he graduated from Tiffin High School. During the

he enlisted in the

Union Army During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union of the collective states. It proved essential to th ...

in August 1862. He was a sergeant in Company K, One Hundred and First Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry. He was later promoted to

first lieutenant First lieutenant is a commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces; in some forces, it is an appointment. The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations, but in most forces it is sub-divided into a ...

and adjutant of the One Hundred and Twenty-third Regiment, United States Colored Infantry, in 1864. He mustered out of the service in 1865.

Postbellum

After the war Norton studied medicine and commenced practice in Ohio in 1867 and continued in that profession until 1879. He studied law and 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 ...

in 1879. He served as member of the State house of representatives 1873-1879, and as chairman of the State Democratic committee 1887-1892. From 1885-1892, he served as county auditor and as commissioner of railroads and telegraphs from 1889 to 1895, when he resigned to accept a position in the legal department of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad.

Congress

Norton was elected as a

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

to the Fifty-fifth, Fifty-sixth, and Fifty-seventh Congresses (March 4, 1897 - March 3, 1903). He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1902 to the Fifty-eighth Congress and resumed legal service with the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad.

Death

He died July 24, 1912, in

Tiffin, Ohio Tiffin is a city in and the county seat of Seneca County, Ohio, United States. Developed along the Sandusky River, which flows to Lake Erie, Tiffin is about 55 miles southeast of Toledo. The population was 17,963 at the 2010 census.1843 births 1912 deaths County auditors in the United States People from Seneca County, Ohio Ohio lawyers Union Army officers Baltimore and Ohio Railroad people Democratic Party members of the Ohio House of Representatives Physicians from Ohio 19th-century American legislators 19th-century American lawyers Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Ohio 19th-century American businesspeople