James Henry Mays (June 29, 1868 – April 19, 1926) was an American lawyer, businessman, and politician who served three terms as a

U.S. Representative The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the 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 Article One of th ...

from

Utah Utah is a landlocked state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is one of the Four Corners states, sharing a border with Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. It also borders Wyoming to the northea ...

from 1915 to 1921.

Early life and education

Born in

Morristown, Tennessee Morristown is a city in and the county seat of Hamblen County, Tennessee, United States. Morristown also extends into Jefferson County on the western and southern ends. The city lies within the Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians, Ridge and Valley regi ...

, Mays attended the district schools. He moved to Kansas in 1883 with his parents, who settled in

Galena, Kansas Galena is a city in Cherokee County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 2,761. History Although the railroad was built through the territory of Galena in 1871, the community did not start until the ...

. He worked in the mines and as a lumberman. He attended the Kansas State Normal School. From 1893 to 1902 he was employed in the life insurance business in

Chicago, Illinois Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

Dubuque, Iowa Dubuque (, ) is a city in Dubuque County, Iowa, United States, and its county seat. The population was 59,667 at the 2020 United States census. The city lies along the Mississippi River at the junction of Iowa, Illinois, and Wisconsin, a region ...

, and in Salt Lake City, Utah. He graduated from the law department of the

University of Michigan at Ann Arbor The University of Michigan (U-M, U of M, or Michigan) is a public university, public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest institution of higher education in the state. The University of Mi ...

in 1895.

Career

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 commenced practice in

Ann Arbor, Michigan Ann Arbor is a city in Washtenaw County, Michigan, United States, and its county seat. The 2020 United States census, 2020 census recorded its population to be 123,851, making it the List of municipalities in Michigan, fifth-most populous cit ...

. He moved to

Indianapolis, Indiana Indianapolis ( ), colloquially known as Indy, is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Indiana, most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana, Marion ...

, in 1896 and to Utah in 1902. Organized several industrial organizations.

Congress

Mays 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 (Cyprus) (DCY) **Democratic Part ...

to the Sixty-fourth, Sixty-fifth, and Sixty-sixth Congresses (March 4, 1915 – March 3, 1921). He was not a candidate for reelection in 1920.

Retirement and death

He retired to his stock ranch near

Wendell, Idaho Wendell is a city in southern Gooding County, Idaho, Gooding County, Idaho, United States. The population was 2,782 at the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census. Geography According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total are ...

, and died there on April 19, 1926. He was interred in Gooding Cemetery,

Gooding, Idaho Gooding is the county seat of and the largest city in Gooding County, Idaho, United States. The population was 3,716 at the 2020 census. The city is named for Frank R. Gooding, a local sheep rancher who became a prominent political figure i ...

Legacy

His home near Wendell, built in 1920 and known as the James Henry and Ida Owen Mays House, was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

in 1993.

Electoral history

Sources

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mays, James Henry 1868 births 1926 deaths People from Wendell, Idaho University of Michigan Law School alumni Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Utah People from Morristown, Tennessee People from Galena, Kansas Burials at Elmwood Cemetery (Gooding, Idaho) 20th-century members of the United States House of Representatives