James Anthony Hughes (February 27, 1861March 2, 1930) was a member of the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Artic ...

from the state of

West Virginia West Virginia is a mountainous U.S. state, state in the Southern United States, Southern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States.The United States Census Bureau, Census Bureau and the Association of American ...

. Hughes was born near Corunna in the

Province of Canada The Province of Canada (or the United Province of Canada or the United Canadas) was a British colony in British North America from 1841 to 1867. Its formation reflected recommendations made by John Lambton, 1st Earl of Durham, in the Report ...

(in what is now

Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...

). He immigrated to the United States as a youth, graduating from business school in

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, second-most populous city in Pennsylvania (after Philadelphia) and the List of Un ...

in 1875. He worked as a bank messenger, travelling salesman, and a businessman before being elected to the

Kentucky House of Representatives The Kentucky House of Representatives is the lower house of the Kentucky General Assembly. It is composed of 100 Representatives elected from single-member districts throughout the Commonwealth. Not more than two counties can be joined to form a ...

in 1888, serving a two-year term. He was a member of the

West Virginia Senate The West Virginia Senate is the upper house of the West Virginia Legislature. There are seventeen senatorial districts. Each district has two senators who serve staggered four-year terms. Although the West Virginia Democratic Party, Democratic P ...

from 1894 to 1898. In 1896, Hughes was appointed postmaster of

Huntington, West Virginia Huntington is a city in Cabell County, West Virginia, Cabell and Wayne County, West Virginia, Wayne counties in the U.S. state of West Virginia. The County seat, seat of Cabell County, the city is located at the confluence of the Ohio River, O ...

. He was a delegate to every

Republican National Convention The Republican National Convention (RNC) is a series of presidential nominating conventions held every four years since 1856 by the Republican Party in the United States. They are administered by the Republican National Committee. The goal o ...

from 1892 to 1924. In 1900, Hughes was elected as a Republican to the U.S. House of Representatives in the 4th congressional district. After his first term, he represented West Virginia's 5th, and was elected six additional times before choosing not to run again in 1914. During his time as a Representative, he served as chair of the Committee on Expenditures on Public Buildings and as chair of the Committee on Accounts. After eleven years of retirement he was re-elected to the House in 1926 for the 4th congressional district. He served two terms before dying in office on March 2, 1930, in Marion, Ohio. He was interred in Spring Hill Cemetery in Huntington. Hughes was, through his marriage to Belle Vinson, a member of the Vinson political family. His daughter, Eloise Hughes Smith, was among the survivors of the RMS ''Titanic'' disaster. Her husband, Lucian P. Smith, died in the sinking. She later married another Titanic survivor,

Robert Daniel Robert Williams Daniel, Jr. (March 17, 1936 – February 4, 2012) was an American farmer, businessman, teacher, and politician from Virginia who served five terms in the U.S. House of Representatives as a Republican Party (United States), Re ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hughes, James Canadian emigrants to the United States Hughes, James A. Hughes, James A. Politicians from Huntington, West Virginia People from Lambton County 1861 births 1930 deaths Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from West Virginia Burials at Spring Hill Cemetery (Huntington, West Virginia) West Virginia Republicans 20th-century West Virginia politicians 20th-century members of the United States House of Representatives 19th-century members of the West Virginia Legislature

See also

References