James Patrick Rossiter
Encyclopedia
James Patrick Rossiter was a prominent politician
in Pennsylvania
.
after James was born and as of 1900 was living in the town of Wenonah
in Gloucester County
. His father brought the family to Erie in 1903, where he again worked in the insurance field. By 1910, the family lived at 439 West Fifth Street, just off Erie's posh Millionaires Row, which runs along West Sixth Street between Perry Square
and Gridley Park.
After World War I
, he returned to living with his parents at their West Fifth Street home. In 1930, he and two adult siblings were living with their widowed father at 616 West Ninth Street, just southwest of their West Fifth Street homestead.
as a condition of his attendance at what was then a land-grant college
. He finished his law studies at Georgetown University Law School, where he graduated in 1916.
, John G. Carney's "Highlights of Erie Politics" says that Rossiter enlisted in the US Army as a private, served eighteen months, and left as a captain. His New York Times obituary says Rossiter served as a lieutenant in an artillery unit in World War I. He was among the founders of the Roger Israel Post 11 of the American Legion
and actively promoted the cause of veteran
s.
He was admitted to the bar and practiced law in the District of Columbia and Erie County, Pennsylvania
. He appeared before the District of Columbia court
, United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania
, the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania
, and the Supreme Court of the United States
. He was a lawyer in private practice living in Erie when he registered for the draft in 1943.
He served as mayor of Erie, Pennsylvania
from 1932 to 1936.
After the mayoralty, he was appointed chief counsel to Pennsylvania's General State Authority in 1937. He resigned that post effective 31 July 1939 and was considering the Democratic candidacy for judge of the Erie County Court of Common Pleas
. He was to be replaced in the general counsel position by Winfred D. Lewis of Lansford, Pennsylvania
He was an unsuccessful candidate for judge
of the Superior Court of Pennsylvania
in 1928. He served as assistant district attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania, but twice failed in his bid for the position of district attorney.
He was the supportive Democratic Party
chairman for Erie County when Democratic-Liberal candidate for state governor John Hemphill visited Erie in October 1930, pushing for repeal of the Eighteenth Amendment
. He represented his party to three of its national conventions
. He seconded the nomination of former Governor Alfred E. Smith
as the presidential
candidate at the 1932 Democratic National Convention
. He was also named to attend the 1936 Democratic National Convention
.
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
.
Family
He was the second of seven children of Louis T. Rossiter, an insurance company superintendent, and his wife Elizabeth C. "Lizzie" (Griffin) Rossiter. The family moved to the Philadelphia suburbs in New JerseyNew Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
after James was born and as of 1900 was living in the town of Wenonah
Wenonah, New Jersey
Wenonah is a Borough in Gloucester County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2000 United States Census, the borough population was 2,317. It is located approximately 10 miles south of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
in Gloucester County
Gloucester County, New Jersey
Gloucester County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2010 Census, the population was 288,288. Its county seat is Woodbury....
. His father brought the family to Erie in 1903, where he again worked in the insurance field. By 1910, the family lived at 439 West Fifth Street, just off Erie's posh Millionaires Row, which runs along West Sixth Street between Perry Square
Perry Square
Perry Square is one of the series of city squares planned by famed surveyor Andrew Ellicott in downtown Erie, Pennsylvania, USA. The park diverts the flow of 6th Street for two wooded city blocks bisected by State Street, which separates the city's eastern and western halves...
and Gridley Park.
After World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, he returned to living with his parents at their West Fifth Street home. In 1930, he and two adult siblings were living with their widowed father at 616 West Ninth Street, just southwest of their West Fifth Street homestead.
Education
He attended the Burns School in Erie and graduated Erie High School in 1910. He studied pre-law at the Pennsylvania State College, where he served one year in ROTCReserve Officers' Training Corps
The Reserve Officers' Training Corps is a college-based, officer commissioning program, predominantly in the United States. It is designed as a college elective that focuses on leadership development, problem solving, strategic planning, and professional ethics.The U.S...
as a condition of his attendance at what was then a land-grant college
Land-grant university
Land-grant universities are institutions of higher education in the United States designated by each state to receive the benefits of the Morrill Acts of 1862 and 1890....
. He finished his law studies at Georgetown University Law School, where he graduated in 1916.
Military service
Regarding Rossiter's service in World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, John G. Carney's "Highlights of Erie Politics" says that Rossiter enlisted in the US Army as a private, served eighteen months, and left as a captain. His New York Times obituary says Rossiter served as a lieutenant in an artillery unit in World War I. He was among the founders of the Roger Israel Post 11 of the American Legion
American Legion
The American Legion is a mutual-aid organization of veterans of the United States armed forces chartered by the United States Congress. It was founded to benefit those veterans who served during a wartime period as defined by Congress...
and actively promoted the cause of veteran
Veteran
A veteran is a person who has had long service or experience in a particular occupation or field; " A veteran of ..."...
s.
Career
Rossiter was a lawyer in Erie when he registered for military service in June 1917. After the war, he resumed his legal work from his parents' West Fifth Street home.He was admitted to the bar and practiced law in the District of Columbia and Erie County, Pennsylvania
Erie County, Pennsylvania
Erie County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of 2010, the population was 280,566. Its county seat is the City of Erie.- Geography :...
. He appeared before the District of Columbia court
District of Columbia Court of Appeals
The District of Columbia Court of Appeals is the highest court of the District of Columbia. Established by the United States Congress in 1970, it is equivalent to a state supreme court, except that its power derives from Article I of the U.S. Constitution rather than from the inherent sovereignty...
, United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania
United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania
The United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania sits in Pittsburgh, Erie, and Johnstown, Pennsylvania. It is composed of ten judges as authorized by federal law. The Honorable Judge Gary L. Lancaster is currently Chief Judge of the Western Pennsylvania District...
, the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania
Supreme Court of Pennsylvania
The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania is the court of last resort for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It meets in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.-History:...
, and the Supreme Court of the United States
Supreme Court of the United States
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
. He was a lawyer in private practice living in Erie when he registered for the draft in 1943.
He served as mayor of Erie, Pennsylvania
Erie, Pennsylvania
Erie is a city located in northwestern Pennsylvania in the United States. Named for the lake and the Native American tribe that resided along its southern shore, Erie is the state's fourth-largest city , with a population of 102,000...
from 1932 to 1936.
After the mayoralty, he was appointed chief counsel to Pennsylvania's General State Authority in 1937. He resigned that post effective 31 July 1939 and was considering the Democratic candidacy for judge of the Erie County Court of Common Pleas
Pennsylvania Courts of Common Pleas
The Pennsylvania Courts of Common Pleas are the trial courts of the Unified Judicial System of Pennsylvania .The Courts of Common Pleas are the trial courts of general jurisdiction in the state....
. He was to be replaced in the general counsel position by Winfred D. Lewis of Lansford, Pennsylvania
Lansford, Pennsylvania
Lansford is a borough in Carbon County, Pennsylvania, located northwest of Allentown and 9 miles south of Hazleton. Settled in 1845, Lansford was incorporated in 1876. In 1900, 4,888 people lived in Lansford; in 1910, 8,321 people inhabited it, and in 1940, 8,710 residents called Lansford home....
He was an unsuccessful candidate for judge
Judge
A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and in an open...
of the Superior Court of Pennsylvania
Superior Court of Pennsylvania
The Superior Court of Pennsylvania is one of two Pennsylvania intermediate appellate courts, the other being the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania. Appeal to the Superior Court is generally of right from final decisions of the Court of Common Pleas...
in 1928. He served as assistant district attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania, but twice failed in his bid for the position of district attorney.
He was the supportive Democratic Party
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
chairman for Erie County when Democratic-Liberal candidate for state governor John Hemphill visited Erie in October 1930, pushing for repeal of the Eighteenth Amendment
Eighteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution
The Eighteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution established Prohibition in the United States. The separate Volstead Act set down methods of enforcing the Eighteenth Amendment, and defined which "intoxicating liquors" were prohibited, and which were excluded from prohibition...
. He represented his party to three of its national conventions
Democratic National Convention
The Democratic National Convention is a series of presidential nominating conventions held every four years since 1832 by the United States Democratic Party. They have been administered by the Democratic National Committee since the 1852 national convention...
. He seconded the nomination of former Governor Alfred E. Smith
Al Smith
Alfred Emanuel Smith. , known in private and public life as Al Smith, was an American statesman who was elected the 42nd Governor of New York three times, and was the Democratic U.S. presidential candidate in 1928...
as the presidential
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
candidate at the 1932 Democratic National Convention
1932 Democratic National Convention
The 1932 Democratic National Convention was held in Chicago, Illinois from June 27 - July 2, 1932. The convention resulted in the nomination of Governor Franklin Roosevelt of New York for President and Speaker of the House John Nance Garner of Texas for Vice-President...
. He was also named to attend the 1936 Democratic National Convention
1936 Democratic National Convention
The 1936 Democratic National Convention was held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania from June 23 to 27, 1936. The convention resulted in the re-nomination of U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Vice President John Nance Garner....
.