James Earl Major (January 5, 1887 – January 4, 1972) was an American lawyer, jurist, and politician. He served as a
United States representative
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 chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...
from
Illinois
Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...
, a
United States circuit judge
In the United States, federal judges are judges who serve on courts established under Article Three of the U.S. Constitution. They include the chief justice and the associate justices of the U.S. Supreme Court, the circuit judges of the U.S. Cou ...
of the
United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
The United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit (in case citations, 7th Cir.) is the U.S. federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the courts in the following districts:
* Central District of Illinois
* Northern District of Il ...
and a United States district judge of the
.
Education and career
Born in
Donnellson,
Illinois
Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...
, Major attended the common and high schools of his native city. He graduated from
Brown's Business College Brown's Business College was a chain of business colleges located in the midwestern United States, started in Illinois in the 1870s by George W. Brown (1845-1918) of Jacksonville, Illinois.Kemp, Bill (29 November 2008)Brown's delivered white-collar ...
in 1907 and from the
Illinois College of Law
Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...
(now
DePaul University College of Law
The DePaul University College of Law is the professional graduate law school of DePaul University in Chicago. The College of Law’s facilities encompass nine floors across two buildings, with features such as the Vincent G. Rinn Law Library and ...
) at
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
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in 1909. 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 ...
in 1910 and commenced the practice of law in
Hillsboro, Illinois in 1912. He served as prosecuting attorney of
Montgomery County, Illinois from 1912 to 1920.
Congressional service
Major 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 (United States) (D)
**Democratic ...
to the
68th United States Congress
The United States Congress is the legislature of the federal government of the United States. It is bicameral, composed of a lower body, the House of Representatives, and an upper body, the Senate. It meets in the U.S. Capitol in Washing ...
, serving from March 4, 1923, to March 3, 1925. He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1924 to the
69th Congress. He resumed the practice law in Hillsboro until he was elected to the
70th Congress, serving from March 4, 1927, to March 3, 1929. He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1928 to the
71st Congress, but was elected to the
72nd and
73rd Congresses and served from March 4, 1931, until his resignation on October 6, 1933, having been appointed to the bench. During his final term, he was one of the managers appointed by 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 ...
in 1933 to conduct the impeachment proceedings against
Harold Louderback
Harold Louderback (January 30, 1881 – December 11, 1941) was a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of California. He was the eleventh federal official to be served with articles of impeachm ...
, Judge of the
.
Federal judicial service
Major received a
recess appointment
In the United States, a recess appointment is an appointment by the president of a federal official when the U.S. Senate is in recess. Under the U.S. Constitution's Appointments Clause, the President is empowered to nominate, and with the advi ...
from President
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt (; ; January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), often referred to by his initials FDR, was an American politician and attorney who served as the 32nd president of the United States from 1933 until his death in 1945. As the ...
on June 12, 1933, to a seat on the
vacated by Judge
Louis FitzHenry
Louis FitzHenry (June 13, 1870 – November 18, 1935) was a United States representative from Illinois, a United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit and a United States district judge of the United S ...
. He was nominated to the same position by President Roosevelt on January 8, 1934. He was confirmed by the
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States.
The composition and pow ...
on January 23, 1934, and received his commission on January 26, 1934. His service terminated on April 5, 1937, due to his elevation to the Seventh Circuit.
Major was nominated by President Roosevelt on March 9, 1937, to a seat on the
United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
The United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit (in case citations, 7th Cir.) is the U.S. federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the courts in the following districts:
* Central District of Illinois
* Northern District of Il ...
vacated by Judge
Louis FitzHenry
Louis FitzHenry (June 13, 1870 – November 18, 1935) was a United States representative from Illinois, a United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit and a United States district judge of the United S ...
. He was confirmed by the Senate on March 17, 1937, and received his commission on March 23, 1937. He served as Chief Judge from 1948 to 1954 and served as a member of the
Judicial Conference of the United States
The Judicial Conference of the United States, formerly known as the Conference of Senior Circuit Judges, was created by the United States Congress in 1922 with the principal objective of framing policy guidelines for administration of judicial cour ...
from 1949 to 1954. He assumed
senior status
Senior status is a form of semi-retirement for United States federal judges. To qualify, a judge in the Federal judiciary of the United States, federal court system must be at least 65 years old, and the sum of the judge's age and years of servi ...
on March 23, 1956.
Death
Major died on January 4, 1972, in Hillsboro, where he had resided.
He was interred in Oak Grove Cemetery.
References
Sources
*
*
External links
James Earl MajorHistorical Society of Montgomery County Illinois
{{DEFAULTSORT:Major, James Earl
1887 births
1972 deaths
Judges of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Illinois
United States district court judges appointed by Franklin D. Roosevelt
Judges of the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
United States court of appeals judges appointed by Franklin D. Roosevelt
20th-century American judges
Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Illinois
People from Hillsboro, Illinois