James Ernest Wharton (October 4, 1899January 19, 1990) was an American attorney and politician. A

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

, he served as a member of the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the Lower house, lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States Senate, Senate being ...

from

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

from 1951 to 1965.

Biography

James Ernest Wharton was born in

Binghamton, New York Binghamton () is a city in the U.S. state of New York, and serves as the county seat of Broome County. Surrounded by rolling hills, it lies in the state's Southern Tier region near the Pennsylvania border, in a bowl-shaped valley at the conflue ...

on October 4, 1899 to James H. Wharton and Mae Dibble. He attended the public schools of Richmondville and graduated from Richmondville High School. After his high school graduation, Wharton attended

Albany Law School Albany Law School is a private law school in Albany, New York. It was founded in 1851 and is the oldest independent law school in the nation. It is accredited by the American Bar Association and has an affiliation agreement with University at A ...

. During

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, Wharton joined the Student Army Training Corps. He enlisted as a private in October 1918, and was discharged in December, following the

Armistice of 11 November 1918 The Armistice of 11 November 1918 was the armistice signed at Le Francport near Compiègne that ended fighting on land, sea, and air in World War I between the Entente and their last remaining opponent, Germany. Previous armistices ...

that ended the war. Wharton then completed his studies at Albany Law School, from which he graduated in 1919. Wharton worked for

Travelers Insurance The Travelers Companies, Inc., commonly known as Travelers, is an American insurance company. It is the second-largest writer of U.S. commercial property casualty insurance, and the sixth-largest writer of U.S. personal insurance through indepen ...

from 1920 until 1929. He attained admission to the bar in 1923 and commenced a law practice in 1929. A

, Wharton was the district attorney of

Schoharie County, New York Schoharie County ( ) is a county in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2020 census, the population was 29,714, making it the state's fifth-least populous county. The county seat is Schoharie. "Schoharie" comes from a Mohawk word meaning "f ...

from 1932 until 1941. From 1941 to 1951, he served as the county's surrogate, family, and county court judge. He was elected to the U.S. House in 1950 and served from January 3, 1951, until January 3, 1965. In 1960, his Democratic opponent was

Gore Vidal Eugene Luther Gore Vidal (; born Eugene Louis Vidal, October 3, 1925 – July 31, 2012) was an American writer and public intellectual known for his epigrammatic wit, erudition, and patrician manner. Vidal was bisexual, and in his novels and ...

, whom Wharton defeated to win a fifth term. In 1964, he was defeated for reelection by Democrat

Joseph Y. Resnick Joseph Yale Resnick (July 13, 1924 – October 6, 1969) was an American inventor, World War II veteran and Democratic Party (United States), Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives from New York (state), New York (New York ...

. After leaving Congress, Wharton resumed the practice of law and became involved in real estate development. Wharton voted in favor of the Civil Rights Acts of 1957,

1960 It is also known as the "Year of Africa" because of major events—particularly the independence of seventeen African nations—that focused global attention on the continent and intensified feelings of Pan-Africanism. Events January * Ja ...

, and

1964 Events January * January 1 – The Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland is dissolved. * January 5 - In the first meeting between leaders of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches since the fifteenth century, Pope Paul VI and Patriarch ...

, as well as the 24th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. He died in

Summit, New York Summit is a town in Schoharie County, New York, United States. The population was 1,123 at the time of the 2000 census. The name is derived from a peak (Mt. Wharton) that was thought to be the highest elevation in the county. The Town of Summit ...

on January 19, 1990. He was buried at Cobleskill Rural Cemetery in Cobleskill. Wharton was first married to Freda Boynton (1899-1979). They divorced and he married Marion Turner (1913-2006). With his first wife, Wharton was the father of a daughter, Beverly Wharton Radez.

References

External links

Retrieved on 2008-01-29 * 1899 births 1990 deaths Politicians from Binghamton, New York United States Army soldiers United States Army personnel of World War I Albany Law School alumni New York (state) state court judges Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from New York (state) 20th-century American judges Lawyers from Binghamton, New York County district attorneys in New York (state) 20th-century American politicians 20th-century American lawyers {{NewYork-Representative-stub

Biography

See also

References

External links