James Alphonsus Hamill (March 30, 1877 – December 15, 1941) was an American attorney and
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politician
A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking, a ...
. He served as the
U.S. 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 c ...
from
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...
's 10th congressional district from 1907 to 1913 and 12th district from 1913 to 1921.
At the Paris Peace conference of 1919 he served as counsel to the unrecognized Ukrainian delegation.
Early life and education
Hamill was born in
Jersey City, New Jersey
Jersey City is the second-most populous city in the U.S. state of New Jersey, after Newark.Saint Peter's College receiving his Bachelor's degree in 1897, and graduated from
New York Law School
New York Law School (NYLS) is a private law school in Tribeca, New York City. NYLS has a full-time day program and a part-time evening program. NYLS's faculty includes 54 full-time and 59 adjunct professors. Notable faculty members include E ...
in 1899; He was admitted to the bar of the State of New Jersey in 1900. Hamill served for four years in the
New Jersey General Assembly
The New Jersey General Assembly is the lower house of the New Jersey Legislature.
Since the election of 1967 (1968 Session), the Assembly has consisted of 80 members. Two members are elected from each of New Jersey's 40 legislative districts for ...
At the Paris Peace Conference of 1919 he served as counsel to the unrecognized Ukrainian Delegation; He was considered one of the best linguists in Congress, having at his command Greek, Latin, Russian, German and French and was decorated as a Chevalier of the French Legion of Honor for his work in French literature. During Eamon de Valera's visit to the United States in 1919, Hamill introduced a resolution in the House of Representatives calling on President Wilson to refuse to receive Auckland Geddes as Ambassador of both Britain and Ireland, but to receive Dr, Patrick McCartan, who had been sent by the Provisional government of Ireland as the Irish ambassador.Dave Hannigan, De Valera in America, Palgrave Macmillan, Basingstoke, Hampshire, England, 2008
Hamill represented Mayor Frank Hague in the free speech case which was instituted in July 1938 by the C.I.O. and the American Civil Liberties Union. He also led Jersey City's fight to recover $14,000,000 in taxes from the railroads.
He was married to the former Mary Josephine Mylotte. They had six children.