James Murray Hooker (October 29, 1873 – August 6, 1940) was a

lawyer A lawyer is a person who is qualified to offer advice about the law, draft legal documents, or represent individuals in legal matters. The exact nature of a lawyer's work varies depending on the legal jurisdiction and the legal system, as w ...

and U.S. Representative from

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...

Biography

Born in Buffalo Ridge, Virginia, Hooker attended the public schools. He was graduated from the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, and from the law department of Washington and Lee University in

Lexington, Virginia Lexington is an Independent city (United States)#Virginia, independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 7,320. It is the county seat of Rockbridge County, Virg ...

, in 1896. He was admitted to the bar in 1896 and commenced practice in Stuart, Virginia. He served as Commonwealth's attorney for

Patrick County, Virginia Patrick County is a county located on the central southern border of the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the county's population was 17,608. Its county seat is Stuart. It is located within both the rolling hills and valley ...

. He served as delegate to the Virginia constitutional convention in 1901 and 1902. He served as member of the board of visitors to the Virginia Military Institute at Lexington in 1901–1906. He served as member of the Virginia Fisheries Commission in 1908–1914. Hooker was elected as a Democrat to the Sixty-seventh Congress to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Rorer A. James. He was reelected to the Sixty-eighth Congress and served from November 8, 1921, to March 3, 1925. He was not a candidate for renomination in 1924. He served as delegate to the Democratic National Convention in 1924. He served as chairman of the Democratic State committee in 1925. He resumed the practice of his profession at Stuart, Virginia, where he died August 6, 1940. He was interred in Stuart Cemetery.

Electoral history

*1921; Hooker was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives with 63.61% of the vote in a special election, defeating Republican Thomas L. Felts and Independent J.R. Wilson. *1922; Hooker was re-elected with 70.92% of the vote, defeating Republican Charles P. Smith.

Sources

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hooker, James Murray 1873 births 1940 deaths College of William & Mary alumni Washington and Lee University School of Law alumni County and city commonwealth's attorneys in Virginia Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Virginia People from Amherst County, Virginia Virginia lawyers 20th-century Virginia politicians 20th-century members of the United States House of Representatives