James McManus (10 November 1804 – 15 February 1879) was an American politician. McManus was born in

Newark, Delaware Newark ( )Not as in Newark, New Jersey. is a small city in New Castle County, Delaware, New Castle County, Delaware, United States. It is located west-southwest of Wilmington, Delaware, Wilmington. According to the 2010 United States Census, ...

, on 10 November 1804. He settled on

Long Island, New York Long Island is a densely populated island in the southeastern region of the U.S. state of New York, part of the New York metropolitan area. With over 8 million people, Long Island is the most populous island in the United States and the 18th ...

, where he worked as a stonemason at

Fort Hamilton Fort Hamilton is a United States Army installation in the southwestern corner of the New York City borough of Brooklyn, surrounded by the communities of Bay Ridge and Dyker Heights. It is one of several posts that are part of the region which is ...

. McManus married

Mystic, Connecticut Mystic is a village and census-designated place (CDP) in Groton, Connecticut, Groton and Stonington, Connecticut, United States. Historically, Mystic was a significant Connecticut seaport with more than 600 ships built over 135 years starting in ...

native Sarah Whittlesey on 10 March 1831. He moved to what is now Iowa in the 1830s, and sent for his wife and seven children the following year. They lived in

Davenport Davenport may refer to: Places Australia *Davenport, Northern Territory, a locality * Hundred of Davenport, cadastral unit in South Australia **Davenport, South Australia, suburb of Port Augusta **District Council of Davenport, former local govern ...

, and owned a farm. Politically, McManus was affiliated with the Whigs and served in the first convocation of the

Iowa General Assembly The Iowa General Assembly is the legislative branch of the state government of Iowa. Like the federal United States Congress, the General Assembly is a bicameral body, composed of the upper house Iowa Senate and the lower Iowa House of Repres ...

in 1846 as a member of the

Iowa House of Representatives The Iowa House of Representatives is the lower house of the Iowa General Assembly, the upper house being the Iowa Senate. There are 100 seats in the Iowa House of Representatives, representing 100 single-member districts across the state, formed ...

. He was also the founding treasurer and a founding trustee of

Iowa College Grinnell College is a private liberal arts college in Grinnell, Iowa, United States. It was founded in 1846 when a group of New England Congregationalists established the Trustees of Iowa College. Grinnell has the fifth highest endowment-to-stu ...

, established in the same year. McManus died on 15 February 1879.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:McManus, John People from Newark, Delaware 1879 deaths 19th-century American legislators Members of the Iowa House of Representatives Iowa Whigs Founders of American schools and colleges University and college founders Politicians from Davenport, Iowa Farmers from Iowa American stonemasons People from Long Island Grinnell College people 19th-century American educators 1804 births