James P. Coleman

James Plemon Coleman (born January 9, 1914 in Ackerman , Choctaw County , Mississippi , † September 29, 1991 ibid) was an American lawyer and politician and from 1956 to 1960 governor of the state of Mississippi.

Early years and political advancement

James Coleman attended the University of Mississippi and then studied law at George Washington University until 1939 . Coleman also served on the staff of Aaron L. Ford , who represented Mississippi in the US House of Representatives between 1935 and 1942 . Coleman was a District Attorney in the 5th District between 1940 and 1946 and was a judge there from 1946 to 1950. In between, he served briefly as a judge on the Supreme Court of his state in 1950 . From 1950 to 1956 Coleman was Attorney General for the State of Mississippi. As a member of the Democratic Party , he attended their Democratic National Conventions in 1940 and 1956 . In November 1955 Coleman was elected the new governor of his state without an opponent after he had prevailed in the runoff election of the primary of his party against Paul B. Johnson .

Governor and federal judge

Coleman began his four-year term on January 17, 1956. The governor refused to merge schools for all races. Instead, against the will of the federal government, he left it at the old racial segregation status . In doing so, he deliberately violated applicable federal law (see also court decision Brown vs. Board of Education ). For this he campaigned for a new state constitution and the industrial development of the state. Mississippi's waterways and ports were expanded.

After the end of his governorship, Coleman remained politically active. Between 1960 and 1965 he was an MP in the Mississippi House of Representatives . In 1963 he ran again unsuccessfully for the office of governor. He then acted from 1965 to 1984 as a judge at the Federal Court of Appeal for the fifth district. Ex-Governor Coleman died in September 1991. He had one child with his wife Margaret Janet Dennis. The JP Coleman State Park near Iuka, Mississippi is named after him.

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personal data
SURNAME	Coleman, James P.
ALTERNATIVE NAMES	Coleman, James Plemon (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	American lawyer and politician
DATE OF BIRTH	January 9, 1914
PLACE OF BIRTH	Ackerman , Mississippi
DATE OF DEATH	September 29, 1991
Place of death	Ackerman , Mississippi