James Isaac Dolliver (August 31, 1894 – December 10, 1978) served six terms as a Republican

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

Iowa's 6th congressional district Iowa's 6th congressional district is a former U.S. congressional district in the State of Iowa. It existed in elections from 1862 to 1992, when it was lost due to Iowa's population growth rate being lower than that of the country as a whole. T ...

, beginning in 1944. He was the nephew of U.S. Senator Jonathan Prentiss Dolliver of Iowa. Born in

Park Ridge, Illinois Park Ridge is a city in Cook County, Illinois, United States, and a Chicago suburb. Per the 2020 census, the population was 39,656. It is located northwest of downtown Chicago. It is close to O'Hare International Airport, major expressways, a ...

, to Rev. and Mrs. Robert H. Dolliver, he received elementary education in Illinois schools at Lanark, Pawpaw, Eochelle, Lockport and Joliet before moving to

Hot Springs, South Dakota Hot Springs (Lakota: ''mni kȟáta''; "hot water") is a city in and county seat of Fall River County, South Dakota, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city population was 3,395. In addition, neighboring Oglala Lakota County contracts the ...

.Frank T. Nye, "James Dolliver Outlines Plans for June 1 Race," Waterloo Courier, 1942-05-12, at 14. He graduated from

Morningside College Morningside University is a private university affiliated with the United Methodist Church and located in Sioux City, Iowa. Founded in 1894 by the Methodist Episcopal Church, Morningside University has 21 buildings on a campus in Sioux City (ar ...

Sioux City, Iowa Sioux City () is a city in Woodbury and Plymouth counties in the northwestern part of the U.S. state of Iowa. The population was 85,797 in the 2020 census, making it the fourth-largest city in Iowa. The bulk of the city is in Woodbury County ...

, in 1915. He taught school at

Alta, Iowa Alta is a city in Buena Vista County, Iowa, United States. The population was 2,087 at the 2020 census. History Alta was platted in 1872, and it was incorporated in 1878. By 2004, Alta contained three general stores, two drug stores, two groc ...

, and

Humboldt, Iowa Humboldt is a city in Humboldt County, Iowa, United States. The population was 4,792 at the time of the 2020 census, gaining 340 people over the 2000 total. History Frank A. Gotch Park (just south of present-day Humboldt and Dakota City) was a ...

, until 1918, when he enlisted in the

U.S. Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cl ...

and was enrolled in signal officers' training school at New Haven, where he was when the First World War ended. Following the conclusion of his military service, he attended the

University of Chicago Law School The University of Chicago Law School is the law school of the University of Chicago, a private research university in Chicago, Illinois. It is consistently ranked among the best and most prestigious law schools in the world, and has many dis ...

where he became a member of the

Delta Chi Delta Chi () is an international Greek letter collegiate social fraternity formed on October 13, 1890, at Cornell University, initially as a professional fraternity for law students. On April 30, 1922, Delta Chi became a general membership soc ...

fraternity, graduating in 1921. 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 ...

the same year and commenced private practice in Chicago. Dolliver moved to

Fort Dodge, Iowa Fort Dodge is a city in, and the county seat of, Webster County, Iowa, United States, along the Des Moines River. The population was 24,871 in the 2020 census, a decrease from 25,136 in 2000. Fort Dodge is a major commercial center for North Cen ...

, in 1922. He served as the County Attorney for

Webster County, Iowa Webster County is a county in the U.S. state of Iowa. As of the 2020 census, the population was 36,999. The county seat is Fort Dodge. The county was established in January 1851, one of 43 counties established by a legislative package. This ...

from 1924 to 1929, then returned to private practice. He served as member of the school board of Fort Dodge School District between 1938 and 1945. He also served a term as commander of the Iowa American Legion. In 1942, Dolliver ran against Governor

George A. Wilson George Allison Wilson (April 1, 1884 – September 8, 1953) was an American politician and lawyer. He was a United States Senate, United States Senator and List of Governors of Iowa, 28th Governor of Iowa. Personal background Born on a farm near ...

and two others for the Republican nomination for

U.S. 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 ...

."Dolliver Wins in 6th District," Mason City Globe-Gazette, 1944-06-06 at 2. In the primary election, Dolliver finished a distant third."Wilson Beats Thornburg by 45,000 Votes," Waterloo Daily Courier, 1942-06-02, at 1. Two years later, Dolliver ran for the U.S. House for a seat held by

Fred C. Gilchrist Fred Cramer Gilchrist (June 2, 1868 – March 10, 1950) was a seven-term Republican U.S. Representative from Iowa, from 1931 to 1945. Born in California, Pennsylvania, in Washington County, Pennsylvania, Gilchrist moved with his parents to ...

, an incumbent member of Dolliver's own party who was then completing his seventh term in office. In a primary characterized by light turnout, Dolliver defeated Gilchrist in a close race. He then ran against Charles Hanna in the general election, defeating him handily. Dolliver was re-elected five times before losing in 1956 to Democrat Merwin Coad, in an extraordinarily close race. Coad won by 198 votes, out of over 129,000 cast. In all, Dolliver served from January 3, 1945, to January 3, 1957. After his loss, he served as regional legal counsel for International Cooperation Administration in the Middle East from 1957 until his retirement in 1959. In retirement, he resided in

Spirit Lake, Iowa Spirit Lake is a city in Dickinson County, Iowa, United States. The population was 5,439 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Dickinson County. The town is located along the western shore of East Okoboji Lake, in the Iowa Great Lakes re ...

. Dolliver died in

Rolla, Missouri Rolla () is a city in, and the county seat of, Phelps County, Missouri, United States. The population in the 2020 United States Census was 19,943. Rolla is located approximately midway between St. Louis and Springfield along I-44. The Rolla ...

on December 10, 1978. He was interred in Oakland Cemetery,

References

External links

* Th
James I. Dolliver Papers
are housed at the University of Iowa Special Collections & University Archives. * {{DEFAULTSORT:Dolliver, James Isaac 1894 births 1978 deaths Morningside University alumni University of Chicago Law School alumni Politicians from Fort Dodge, Iowa United States Army soldiers Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Iowa 20th-century American politicians People from Hot Springs, South Dakota