James Preston Kem (April 2, 1890February 24, 1965) was an American politician representing Missouri in the United States Senate from 1947 to 1953.

Life and career

James P. Kem was born in Macon, Missouri. He attended

Blees Military Academy Blees Military Academy, also known as Still-HiIdreth Osteopathic Sanatorium, is a historic military academy located in Macon, Missouri. The academy operated between 1899 and 1915. The old Academic Hall and Gymnasium of Blees Academy were listed on ...

, then graduated from the University of Missouri in 1910, and

Harvard Law School Harvard Law School (Harvard Law or HLS) is the law school of Harvard University, a private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest continuously operating law school in the United States. Each class ...

in 1913. He was admitted to the bar in 1913 and commenced practice in

Kansas City, Missouri Kansas City (abbreviated KC or KCMO) is the largest city in Missouri by population and area. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 508,090 in 2020, making it the 36th most-populous city in the United States. It is the central ...

. He entered the U.S. Army infantry in 1917 and was a World War I veteran. In 1920, Kem resumed the general practice of law in Kansas City. He built up a very successful corporate practice over the next two decades. By 1943, he served as President of the Lawyers Association of Kansas City and as chairman of the Jackson County Republican Committee. In 1944, he served as a delegate to the

Republican National Convention The Republican National Convention (RNC) is a series of presidential nominating conventions held every four years since 1856 by the United States Republican Party. They are administered by the Republican National Committee. The goal of the Repu ...

and began building support for a run for the U.S. Senate. Kem defeated incumbent

Frank P. Briggs Frank Parks Briggs (February 25, 1894September 23, 1992) was a United States senator from Missouri, and succeeded Harry S. Truman when Truman was elected vice president. Biography Frank P. Briggs was born in Armstrong, Missouri on February 25, ...

, who had been appointed to the office in 1945 when

Harry S. Truman Harry S. Truman (May 8, 1884December 26, 1972) was the 33rd president of the United States, serving from 1945 to 1953. A leader of the Democratic Party, he previously served as the 34th vice president from January to April 1945 under Franklin ...

resigned to become vice president. During his one term in the Senate, Kem was a staunch opponent of President Truman, characterizing him as a puppet of Tom Pendergast's corrupt political machine in Kansas City. Kem lost his re-election bid in 1952 to Democratic candidate, Stuart Symington, a former Emerson Electric CEO who had been United States Secretary of the Air Force in the Truman administration. Kem retired to a Washington, D.C. law practice and then raised

Angus Angus may refer to: Media * ''Angus'' (film), a 1995 film * ''Angus Og'' (comics), in the ''Daily Record'' Places Australia * Angus, New South Wales Canada * Angus, Ontario, a community in Essa, Ontario * East Angus, Quebec Scotland * An ...

cattle in Virginia until his death in 1965 at the age of 74.

References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Kem, James P. 1890 births 1965 deaths People from Macon, Missouri University of Missouri alumni Harvard Law School alumni Missouri lawyers People from Kansas City, Missouri United States Army personnel of World War I United States Army soldiers Lawyers from Washington, D.C. Missouri Republicans Republican Party United States senators from Missouri 20th-century American politicians 20th-century American lawyers