James McMahon Graham

James McMahon Graham

James McMahon Graham (born April 14, 1852 in Castleblayney , County Monaghan , Ireland , †  October 23, 1945 in Springfield , Illinois ) was an American politician . Between 1909 and 1915 he represented the state of Illinois in the US House of Representatives .

Career

In 1868, James Graham came to Sangamon County , Illinois from his homeland in Ireland . He later studied law at the University of Illinois in Urbana and Valparaiso University in Indiana . He then worked as a teacher and as a lawyer. At the same time he embarked on a political career as a member of the Democratic Party . He was a member of the Illinois House of Representatives in 1885 and 1886 . Between 1892 and 1896 he was a District Attorney in Sangamon County. He was also a member of the Springfield Education Committee from 1891 to 1894.

In the congressional election of 1908 , Graham was elected to the US House of Representatives in Washington, DC in the 21st  constituency of Illinois , where he succeeded Ben F. Caldwell on March 4, 1909 . After two re-elections, he was able to complete three legislative terms in Congress by March 3, 1915 . From 1911 he headed the Ministry of Interior's Expenditure Control Committee. During his time in Congress in 1913, the 16th and 17th amendments were ratified. In 1914 he was not re-elected.

Between 1916 and 1928 James Graham was a member of a national commission for the unification of the laws of the individual states. From 1936 to 1945 he was a member of the board of directors of the Lincoln Library . He died in Springfield on October 23, 1945.

Web links

• James McMahon Graham in the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress (English)

• James McMahon Graham in the database of Find a Grave (English)