James McDowell (October 13, 1795 – August 24, 1851) was the

29th 29 (twenty-nine) is the natural number following 28 and preceding 30. Mathematics * 29 is the tenth prime number, and the fourth primorial prime. * 29 forms a twin prime pair with thirty-one, which is also a primorial prime. Twenty-nine is also ...

Governor of Virginia The governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia serves as the head of government of Virginia for a four-year term. The incumbent, Glenn Youngkin, was sworn in on January 15, 2022. Oath of office On inauguration day, the Governor-elect takes th ...

from 1843 to 1846 and was a U.S.

Congressman A Member of Congress (MOC) is a person who has been appointed or elected and inducted into an official body called a congress, typically to represent a particular constituency in a legislature. The term member of parliament (MP) is an equivalen ...

from 1846 to 1851.

Biography

McDowell was born at "Cherry Grove," near

Rockbridge County, Virginia Rockbridge County is a county in the Shenandoah Valley on the western edge of the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 22,650. Its county seat is the city of Lexington. Rockbridge County completely surrounds the in ...

, on October 13, 1795. He attended a classical school at

Greenville, Virginia Greenville is a census-designated place (CDP) in Augusta County, Virginia, United States. The population was 832 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Staunton– Waynesboro Micropolitan Statistical Area. History As early as 1794, Greenvill ...

, a private school at Brownsburg, Washington College (now

Washington and Lee University , mottoeng = "Not Unmindful of the Future" , established = , type = Private liberal arts university , academic_affiliations = , endowment = $2.092 billion (2021) , president = William C. Dudley , provost = Lena Hill , city = Lexington ...

Lexington, Virginia Lexington is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. At the 2020 census, the population was 7,320. It is the county seat of Rockbridge County, although the two are separate jurisdictions. The Bureau of Economic Analysis combines ...

, and

Yale Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wor ...

College He graduated from

Princeton University Princeton University is a private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and one of the ...

in 1817 and studied law. He was admitted to the bar but did not practice. He was a member of the State house of delegates 1831–1835 and again in 1838. He was chosen as Governor of Virginia in 1843. He was elected as a Democrat to the Twenty-ninth Congress to fill the vacancy caused by the death of William Taylor. He was reelected to the Thirtieth and Thirty-first Congresses and served from March 6, 1846, to March 3, 1851. McDowell died on his estate " Col Alto" near Lexington, August 24, 1851. He was interred in Presbyterian Cemetery. McDowell was the brother-in-law of

Senator A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...

Thomas Hart Benton. McDowell County, Virginia (now part of West Virginia) was formed in 1858 and named in honor of Governor McDowell.

References

External links

A Guide to the Executive Papers of Governor James McDowell, 1843-1845
a
The Library of VirginiaJames McDowell helped shape history of Rockbridge County
from

The News Leader ''The News Leader'' is a daily newspaper owned by Gannett and serving Staunton, Virginia Staunton ( ) is an independent city in the U.S. Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 25,750. In Virginia, independent c ...

Congressional Biography
Democratic Party governors of Virginia Princeton University alumni Washington and Lee University alumni 1795 births 1851 deaths People from Rockbridge County, Virginia Yale University alumni Democratic Party members of the Virginia House of Delegates Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Virginia 19th-century American politicians Preston family of Virginia {{Virginia-Representative-stub