James Henry Harrison (August 13, 1878 – April 2, 1943) was an American lawyer and politician from New Jersey.

Early life

Harrison was born on August 13, 1878, in

Caldwell, New Jersey Caldwell is a borough located in northwestern Essex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, about west of New York City and north-west of Newark, the state's most populous city. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population ...

, the son of George B. Harrison and Elizabeth C. Gould. Harrison attended the Montclair High School. He then went to

Princeton University Princeton University is a private university, private Ivy League research university in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the List of Colonial ...

, graduating from there in 1899. A year later, he became master and then headmaster of St. James School in

Hagerstown, Maryland Hagerstown is a city in Washington County, Maryland, United States, and its county seat. The population was 43,527 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Hagerstown ranks as Maryland's List of municipalities in Maryland, sixth-most popu ...

. While there, he decided to study law and entered

New York Law School New York Law School (NYLS) is a private, American law school in the Tribeca neighborhood in Manhattan, New York City. The third oldest law school in New York City, its history predates its official founding in 1891 by Theodore William Dwight, T ...

, graduating in 1905.

Career

Harrison was admitted to the New York State Bar in 1905. He was admitted to the New Jersey state bar as an attorney in 1904, and in 1907 he was admitted as a counselor. He then became a member of the law firm Munn & Church in Newark. A Republican, he was a member of the Republican County Committee of Essex County for several years. He was elected to the Caldwell Borough Council in 1905 and served as mayor starting in 1908. By 1913, he was a director of the Caldwell National Bank and the Essex National Bank of Montclair. In 1911, Harrison was county counsel of Essex County. He was prosecutor of pleas for Essex County from 1917 to 1922. He was counsel of the Essex County Bar Park Commission and a member of the State Board of Bar Examiners. In 1923, he was elected to the

New Jersey Senate The New Jersey Senate is the upper house of the New Jersey Legislature by the Constitution of 1844, replacing the Legislative Council. There are 40 legislative districts, representing districts with an average population of 232,225 (2020 figure ...

as a Republican, representing Essex County. He served in the Senate until 1926. He was a candidate for the Republican gubernatorial nomination in the

1928 New Jersey gubernatorial election The 1928 New Jersey Gubernatorial Election was held on November 6, 1928. Republican nominee Morgan Foster Larson defeated Democratic nominee William L. Dill with 54.88% of the vote. Primary elections were held on May 15, 1928. Dill was unop ...

. He was named receiver for the Breeze Corporations, Inc. He was also a director of the Firemen's Insurance Company of Newark and the National State Bank of Newark. He was president of the

New Jersey State Bar Association The New Jersey State Bar Association (NJSBA) is a voluntary bar association for the state of New Jersey. History In June 1899, 74 attorneys launched NJSBA in Atlantic City; annual dues were $5.00. Within the next decade, the Canon of Ethics was a ...

in 1931.

Personal life

Harrison was president of

Essex County Country Club Essex County Country Club (ECCC) is a golf club in West Orange, New Jersey. It was founded in 1887, making it the oldest club in the state of New Jersey and the sixth oldest in the United States. History Essex County Country Club was established ...

, and a member of the Cannon Club, the

Sons of the American Revolution The Sons of the American Revolution (SAR), formally the National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution (NSSAR), is a federally chartered patriotic organization. The National Society, a nonprofit corporation headquartered in Louisvi ...

, and the

Princeton Club of New York The Princeton Club of New York was a private clubhouse located at 15 West 43rd Street in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, New York (state), New York, founded in 1866 as the Princeton Alumni Association of New York. It reorganized to its current ...

. He was a member of the First

Presbyterian Presbyterianism is a historically Reformed Protestant tradition named for its form of church government by representative assemblies of elders, known as "presbyters". Though other Reformed churches are structurally similar, the word ''Pr ...

Church of Caldwell, which was established by one of his ancestors. Harrison died at home on April 2, 1943. He was buried in Prospect Hill Cemetery.

References

External links

*
The Political Graveyard
' {{DEFAULTSORT:Harrison, J. Henry 1878 births 1943 deaths People from Caldwell, New Jersey Montclair High School (New Jersey) alumni Politicians from Essex County, New Jersey Princeton University alumni New York Law School alumni Lawyers from New York City Lawyers from Newark, New Jersey 20th-century American lawyers 20th-century mayors of places in New Jersey New Jersey city council members Mayors of places in New Jersey Republican Party New Jersey state senators American Presbyterians 20th-century members of the New Jersey Legislature