James W. McDill
Encyclopedia
James Wilson McDill was a lawyer, state-court judge, Republican
United States Representative and Senator
from Iowa
, state railroad commissioner, and member of the Interstate Commerce Commission
.
Born in Monroe, Ohio
, he attended the common schools, Hanover College
, and South Salem Academy (in South Salem, Ohio
). He graduated from Miami University
(in Oxford, Ohio
) in 1853. He studied law in Columbus, Ohio
, and was admitted to the bar
in 1856.
McDill then moved to Afton, Iowa
in southwestern Iowa, and commenced practice. He was elected superintendent
of Union County, Iowa, in 1859 and was elected county judge in 1860. He was a clerk in the office of the Third Auditor of the Treasury
in Washington, D.C.
from 1862 to 1865, when he resigned and returned to Iowa. He was elected circuit judge in 1868, and later district judge of the third judicial circuit of Iowa.
In 1872, he was elected as a Republican to represent Iowa's 8th congressional district
in the U.S. House. He initially served in the Forty-third Congress. He was re-elected two years later, to the Forty-fourth Congress. He declined to be a candidate for renomination in 1876. In all, he served in the House from March 4, 1873 to March 3, 1877.
McDill resumed the practice of law in Afton. He was a member of the Board of Railroad Commissioners of the State of Iowa from 1878 to 1881.
In March 1881, he was appointed by Governor John H. Gear
to fill the U.S. Senate vacancy caused by the resignation of Samuel J. Kirkwood
, whom President James A. Garfield had appointed Secretary of the Interior
. McDill was required to stand for election in the next session of the Iowa General Assembly
, in 1882. James F. Wilson was elected to the "long term" Senate seat (for 1883 to 1889), which McDill did not seek, but McDill was elected to continue holding the seat in the short run (until March 1883). In all, he served in the Senate from March 8, 1881, until March 3, 1883.
After his term ended, he was again appointed Railroad Commissioner for three years beginning in April 1884.
In 1892, he was appointed by President Benjamin Harrison
a member of the Interstate Commerce Commission and served until his death in Creston, Iowa
in 1894. He was interred in Graceland Cemetery.
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
United States Representative and Senator
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
from Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
, state railroad commissioner, and member of the Interstate Commerce Commission
Interstate Commerce Commission
The Interstate Commerce Commission was a regulatory body in the United States created by the Interstate Commerce Act of 1887. The agency's original purpose was to regulate railroads to ensure fair rates, to eliminate rate discrimination, and to regulate other aspects of common carriers, including...
.
Born in Monroe, Ohio
Monroe, Ohio
Monroe is a city located in east central Butler and west central Warren counties in the southwestern part of the U.S. state of Ohio. As of 2007, the city population was 7,655, up from 4,008 in 1990....
, he attended the common schools, Hanover College
Hanover College
Hanover College is a private liberal arts college, located in Hanover, Indiana, near the banks of the Ohio River. The college is affiliated with the Presbyterian Church . The college was founded in 1827 by the Rev. John Finley Crowe, making it the oldest private college in Indiana. The Hanover...
, and South Salem Academy (in South Salem, Ohio
South Salem, Ohio
South Salem is a village in Ross County, Ohio, United States. The population was 213 at the 2000 census.-History:In 1842, local Presbyterian minister Hugh Stewart Fullerton orchestrated the establishment of a school in southwestern Ross County...
). He graduated from Miami University
Miami University
Miami University is a coeducational public research university located in Oxford, Ohio, United States. Founded in 1809, it is the 10th oldest public university in the United States and the second oldest university in Ohio, founded four years after Ohio University. In its 2012 edition, U.S...
(in Oxford, Ohio
Oxford, Ohio
Oxford is a city in northwestern Butler County, Ohio, United States, in the southwestern portion of the state. It lies in Oxford Township, originally called the College Township. The population was 21,943 at the 2000 census. This college town was founded as a home for Miami University. Oxford...
) in 1853. He studied law in Columbus, Ohio
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
, and was admitted to the bar
Bar (law)
Bar in a legal context has three possible meanings: the division of a courtroom between its working and public areas; the process of qualifying to practice law; and the legal profession.-Courtroom division:...
in 1856.
McDill then moved to Afton, Iowa
Afton, Iowa
Afton is a city in Union County, Iowa, United States. The population was 917 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Afton is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land....
in southwestern Iowa, and commenced practice. He was elected superintendent
Local government
Local government refers collectively to administrative authorities over areas that are smaller than a state.The term is used to contrast with offices at nation-state level, which are referred to as the central government, national government, or federal government...
of Union County, Iowa, in 1859 and was elected county judge in 1860. He was a clerk in the office of the Third Auditor of the Treasury
United States Department of the Treasury
The Department of the Treasury is an executive department and the treasury of the United States federal government. It was established by an Act of Congress in 1789 to manage government revenue...
in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
from 1862 to 1865, when he resigned and returned to Iowa. He was elected circuit judge in 1868, and later district judge of the third judicial circuit of Iowa.
In 1872, he was elected as a Republican to represent Iowa's 8th congressional district
Iowa's 8th congressional district
Iowa's 8th congressional district existed from 1873 to 1963. The district was configured five times. Although the district encompassed four different areas of Iowa in its ninety-year existence, it was always predominantly rural, and elected a Republican lawyer to the United States House of...
in the U.S. House. He initially served in the Forty-third Congress. He was re-elected two years later, to the Forty-fourth Congress. He declined to be a candidate for renomination in 1876. In all, he served in the House from March 4, 1873 to March 3, 1877.
McDill resumed the practice of law in Afton. He was a member of the Board of Railroad Commissioners of the State of Iowa from 1878 to 1881.
In March 1881, he was appointed by Governor John H. Gear
John H. Gear
John Henry Gear was the 11th Governor of Iowa, United States Representative, and Senator.-Biography:Born in Ithaca, New York, he attended the common schools and moved to Galena, Illinois in 1836, to Fort Snelling, Iowa, in 1838, and to Burlington in 1843, where he engaged in mercantile pursuits...
to fill the U.S. Senate vacancy caused by the resignation of Samuel J. Kirkwood
Samuel J. Kirkwood
Samuel Jordan Kirkwood , was an American politician best known as Iowa's American Civil War Governor. He also served in the U.S. Senate and as U.S. Secretary of the Interior.-Early life and career:...
, whom President James A. Garfield had appointed Secretary of the Interior
United States Secretary of the Interior
The United States Secretary of the Interior is the head of the United States Department of the Interior.The US Department of the Interior should not be confused with the concept of Ministries of the Interior as used in other countries...
. McDill was required to stand for election in the next session of the Iowa General Assembly
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 Representatives respectively...
, in 1882. James F. Wilson was elected to the "long term" Senate seat (for 1883 to 1889), which McDill did not seek, but McDill was elected to continue holding the seat in the short run (until March 1883). In all, he served in the Senate from March 8, 1881, until March 3, 1883.
After his term ended, he was again appointed Railroad Commissioner for three years beginning in April 1884.
In 1892, he was appointed by President Benjamin Harrison
Benjamin Harrison
Benjamin Harrison was the 23rd President of the United States . Harrison, a grandson of President William Henry Harrison, was born in North Bend, Ohio, and moved to Indianapolis, Indiana at age 21, eventually becoming a prominent politician there...
a member of the Interstate Commerce Commission and served until his death in Creston, Iowa
Creston, Iowa
Creston is a city in and the county seat of Union County, Iowa, United States. The population was 7,597 at the 2000 census. McKinley Lake lies within a large, multi-purpose municipal park within the city limits, and three additional recreational lakes are located within seven miles of Creston:...
in 1894. He was interred in Graceland Cemetery.