James Miller Tunnell (August 2, 1879 – November 14, 1957) was an American lawyer and politician from Georgetown, in

Sussex County, Delaware Sussex County is a county in the southern part of the U.S. state of Delaware, on the Delmarva Peninsula. As of the 2020 census, the population was 237,378, making it the state's second most populated county behind New Castle and ahead of Ke ...

. He was a member of the Democratic Party, and served as U.S. Senator from Delaware.

Early life and family

Tunnell was born in Clarksville, near

Millville, Delaware Millville is a town in Sussex County, Delaware, Sussex County, Delaware, United States. The population in 2020 was 1,825, It is part of the Salisbury metropolitan area, Salisbury, Maryland-Delaware Metropolitan Statistical Area and lies within Ba ...

. He attended the public schools and graduated in 1900 from Franklin College, now combined with Muskingum College in New Concord, Ohio.

Professional and political career

Tunnell taught in the public schools, eventually becoming principal of the schools at Frankford, Selbyville and Ocean View in Delaware. Meanwhile, he studied the law, was admitted to the bar in 1907 and began a practice in Georgetown. He was president of the Georgetown Board of Education from 1919 until 1932. Tunnell was also a banker and owned and operated a number of farms in Sussex County. Tunnell first ran for a seat in the United States Senate in 1924, but was defeated by Republican T. Coleman du Pont. He was elected to the United States Senate in 1940, this time defeating the incumbent Republican Senator John G. Townsend Jr. During this term, he served with the Democratic majority in the 77th, 78th, and 79th congresses. He was chairman of the Committee on Pensions in the 78th and 79th congresses. Tunnell lost his bid for a second term in 1946 to Republican John J. Williams from Millsboro, Delaware. He served from January 3, 1941, to January 3, 1947, during the administrations of U.S. presidents

Franklin D. Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt (January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), also known as FDR, was the 32nd president of the United States, serving from 1933 until his death in 1945. He is the longest-serving U.S. president, and the only one to have served ...

and

Harry S. Truman Harry S. Truman (May 8, 1884December 26, 1972) was the 33rd president of the United States, serving from 1945 to 1953. As the 34th vice president in 1945, he assumed the presidency upon the death of Franklin D. Roosevelt that year. Subsequen ...

. Director of the Farmers' Bank of Delaware (1905-1957)Tunnell was an early supporter of the

Equal Rights Amendment The Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) was a proposed amendment to the Constitution of the United States, United States Constitution that would explicitly prohibit sex discrimination. It is not currently a part of the Constitution, though its Ratifi ...

Death and legacy

James M. Tunnell died age 78 on November 14, 1957, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He is buried in the Blackwater Church Cemetery, near Clarksville, Sussex County, Delaware. His son James M. Tunnell Jr. was the Democratic nominee for the class 2 senate seat in 1966, but lost to incumbent J. Caleb Boggs.

Almanac

Elections are held the first Tuesday after November 1. U.S. Senators are popularly elected and take office January 3 for a six-year term.

References

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External links

Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Tunnell, James M. 1879 births 1957 deaths People from Georgetown, Delaware Muskingum University alumni American educators Delaware lawyers Delaware Democrats Democratic Party United States senators from Delaware Burials in Sussex County, Delaware People from Sussex County, Delaware American bankers 20th-century United States senators