James Franklin Clay (October 29, 1840 – August 17, 1921) was a

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

Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia to ...

. Born in

Henderson, Kentucky Henderson is a home rule-class city along the Ohio River and is the county seat of Henderson County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 28,757 at the 2010 U.S. census. It is part of the Evansville Metropolitan Area, locally known as the ...

, Clay attended public and private schools at Henderson. He graduated from Georgetown College, Kentucky, in June 1860. He studied law and 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 1862, commencing practice in Henderson. He served as member of the State senate in 1870. Clay 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 48th Congress and served March 4, 1883 – March 3, 1885. He was an unsuccessful candidate for renomination in 1884 and resumed law practice in Henderson. He served as

city attorney A city attorney is a position in city and municipal government in the United States. The city attorney is the attorney representing the municipality. Unlike a district attorney or public defender, who usually handles criminal cases, a city at ...

and as attorney for the St. Louis & Southern Railroad and the Ohio Valley Railway Co. He died in

, on August 17, 1921, and was interred in Fernwood Cemetery.

References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Clay, James Franklin 1840 births 1921 deaths People from Henderson, Kentucky Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Kentucky Democratic Party Kentucky state senators