James Waddey "J.W." Clark (December 8, 1877 – February 24, 1939) was a justice of the Oklahoma Supreme Court from 1925 to 1933. He was born in Allisona,

Williamson County, Tennessee Williamson County is a county in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 247,726. The county seat is Franklin, and the county is located in Middle Tennessee. The county is named after Hugh Williams ...

to Joseph Poindexter and Cora Belle Waddey. "James Waddey Clark.".Political Graveyard."
Accessed December 19, 2016.Thoburn, "Justice J. W. Clark." In: ''A Standard History of Oklahoma''. p. 41.
Accessed December 19, 2016. After finishing public school, James became a traveling salesman, then went into the mercantile business, and finally went into business for himself. He took a course in law in 1907 and 1908, then enrolled in

Cumberland University Cumberland University is a private university in Lebanon, Tennessee. It was founded in 1842. The campus's current historic buildings were constructed between 1892 and 1896. History 1842-1861 The university was founded by the Cumberlan ...

( Lebanon, Tennessee) in 1909. By 1910, he had opened a law practice and won election to the Oklahoma legislature. In 1912, he was elected County Attorney for

Atoka County, Oklahoma Atoka County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. As of the 2010 census, the population was 14,007. Its county seat is Atoka. The county was formed before statehood from Choctaw Lands, and its name honors a Choctaw Chief name ...

and was reelected after his first two-year term expired. In 1917, he returned to private law practice in Atoka, where he remained until he won election to the Oklahoma Supreme Court in 1924, filling a vacancy and taking office in 1925. He was reelected for a full 6-year term in 1926. In 1929, the

Oklahoma Legislature The Legislature of the State of Oklahoma is the state legislative branch of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The Oklahoma House of Representatives and Oklahoma Senate are the two houses that make up the bicameral state legislature. There are 101 ...

attempted to impeach Clark, with the Oklahoma House of Representatives voting out eleven impeachment charges against Clark alleging corruption; however, he was acquitted by one vote in the Oklahoma Senate, and served out the remainder of his term. After returning to private practice for a time, Clark again ran for a seat on the court in 1938, but was not elected.

Personal and family life

Justice Clark married Anna Paullin in Durant, Oklahoma on May 1, 1917. They had four children: Ann Virginia (b. September 27, 1917); Jim (b. November 6, 1920); Mary Louise (b. October 1, 1924); John Marshall (b. October 12, 1926). Clark died in Denison, Texas, where he had been hospitalized for a kidney ailment."Former Judge Dies in Texas", ''The Daily Oklahoman'' (February 25, 1939), p. 1.

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References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Clark, James Waddey Justices of the Oklahoma Supreme Court 1877 births 1939 deaths People from Atoka, Oklahoma Politicians from Oklahoma City Cumberland University alumni People from Williamson County, Tennessee