James Henry Mays (June 29, 1868 – April 19, 1926) 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

Utah Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to it ...

. Born in Morristown, Tennessee, Mays attended the district schools. He moved to Kansas in 1883 with his parents, who settled in

Galena, Kansas Galena is a city in Cherokee County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 2,761. History Although the railroad was built through the territory of Galena in 1871, the community did not start until the di ...

. He worked in the mines and as a lumberman. He attended the

Kansas State Normal School Emporia State University (Emporia State or ESU) is a public university in Emporia, Kansas, United States. Established in March 1863 as the Kansas State Normal School, Emporia State is the third-oldest public university in the state of Kansas. Em ...

. From 1893 to 1902 engaged in the life insurance business at

Chicago, Illinois (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

Dubuque, Iowa Dubuque (, ) is the county seat of Dubuque County, Iowa, United States, located along the Mississippi River. At the time of the 2020 census, the population of Dubuque was 59,667. The city lies at the junction of Iowa, Illinois, and Wisconsin, a r ...

, and Salt Lake City, Utah. He was graduated from the law department of the

University of Michigan at Ann Arbor , mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth" , former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821) , budget = $10.3 billion (2021) , endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...

in 1895. 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 ...

and commenced practice in Ann Arbor, Michigan. He moved to

Indianapolis, Indiana Indianapolis (), colloquially known as Indy, is the state capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the seat of Marion County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the consolidated population of Indianapolis and Mari ...

, in 1896 and to Utah in 1902. Organized several industrial organizations. Mays 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 Sixty-fourth, Sixty-fifth, and Sixty-sixth Congresses (March 4, 1915 – March 3, 1921). He was not a candidate for reelection in 1920. He retired to his stock ranch near

Wendell, Idaho Wendell is a city in southern Gooding County, Idaho, United States. The population was 2,782 at the 2010 census. Geography Wendell is located at (42.775974, -114.702699). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total are ...

, and died there on April 19, 1926. He was interred in Gooding Cemetery,

Gooding, Idaho Gooding is the county seat and largest city of Gooding County, Idaho, United States. The population was 3,567 at the 2010 census. The city is named for Frank R. Gooding, a local sheep rancher who became a prominent political figure in Idaho in ...

. His home near Wendell, built in 1920 and known as the James Henry and Ida Owen Mays House, was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

in 1993.

Sources

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mays, James Henry 1868 births 1926 deaths People from Wendell, Idaho University of Michigan Law School alumni Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Utah People from Morristown, Tennessee People from Galena, Kansas Burials at Elmwood Cemetery (Gooding, Idaho)