James Harrison Wilson (1835 - 1920)

Born 16 Aug 1835 in Ayrshire, Scotland, United Kingdom

Husband of Esther (Wilbur) Wilson — married 1863 in Tama, Iowa, United States

Died 26 Aug 1920 at age 85 in Traer, Tama, Iowa, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Sharon Hinshaw-Payne [send private message]

Preceded by Francis W. Palmer

James "Tama Jim" Wilson US House of Representatives from Iowas Fifth District 1873—1877

Succeeded by Rush Clark

Preceded by William G Thompson

James "Tama Jim" Wilson US House of Representatives from Iowas Fifth District 1883—1885

Succeeded by Benjamin T Frederick

Preceded by Julius Morton

James "Tama Jim" Wilson US Secretary of Agriculture 1897—1913

Succeeded by David Houston

Biography

James Wilson is Notable.

James Wilson migrated from Scotland to Iowa in 1852.

James "Tama Jim" Wilson (August 16, 1835 – August 26, 1920). He was the son of John Wlson and Jean McCosh. He was a Scottish-American politician who served as United States Secretary of Agriculture for sixteen years during three presidencies, from 1897 to 1913. He holds the record as the longest-serving United States Cabinet member, and the only cabinet member to serve under four consecutive presidents.

His family emigrated to America from Ayreshire, Scotland, in 1852, settling in Connecticut before moving to Iowa in 1855, establishing a farm near Traer in Tama County. He attended the public schools and Iowa College (now Grinnell College) in Grinnell, Iowa.

He married Esther Wilbur in May 1863. Together they had seven children:

• James Wilbur b. 12 February 1871

• Esther May b. 31 May 1879 d. 1885

• Peter McCosh b. 01 Oct 1867 d. 1932

• Flora Hanna b. 27 May 1869 d. 1958

• John Ward b. 17 Sept 1865 d. 21 April 1932

• George Wright b. 12 July 1876 d. 05 Dec 1939

• Jasper Abijah b. 29 Oct 1874 d. 19 March 1949

Esther died on August 3, 1892; James Wilson remained a widower for the remainder of his life.

In September of 1864, in the home of Daniel Connell, a plan was formed to elect James to the Board of Supervisors in Tama County. He was elected in October, serving the term of 1865-1866. Then he was elected to the Railroad committee and was successful in getting a bill passed that would reserve to the state the right to regulate rates. He was returned to the Thirteenth and Fourteenth General Assembly and was then voted in as Speaker of the House. He served as Speaker from 1870-1871, before becoming a professor of agriculture at what is now Iowa State University, where he encouraged the work of George Washington Carver.

In 1872, the Republican Convention nominated James a candidate for Congress from the Fifth District. He was elected to the United States House of Representatives. It was during this time that he became known as "Tama Jim" to distinguish him from the Iowa member of the senate,James_Falconer_Wilson.

He was appointed a member of the State Railroad Commission in 1882 by Govenor Sherman and served 11 months in that capacity. James Wilson enjoyed the distinction of being the first farmer to go to Congress from Iowa.

Wilson rose to national prominence in early 1897 when newly elected President William McKinley nominated him as his Secretary for Agriculture. During sixteen consecutive years of Republican administrations, Presidents McKinley, Theodore Roosevelt and William Howard Taft retained him in that position. Wilson served as Secretary of Agriculture from March 6, 1897 to March 5, 1913 — the longest duration served by any American cabinet official. His tenure as Secretary of Agriculture is known as a period of modernization of agricultural methods. He also organized greater food inspection methods, as well as great improvement of many roads across the country. He is also credited with re-establishing the Morgan Breed of horses.

After leaving office at age 78, Wilson retired in Iowa. He died in Traer, Iowa on August 26, 1920, ten days after celebrating his eighty-fifth birthday. He was interred next to his wife in Buckingham Cemetery, Traer, Iowa.

There is a plaque dedicated to Wilson inside the USDA Building, where a pedestrian arch is named for him.

Sources

• History of the John Wilson Family (https://archive.org/stream/historyofjohnwil00wils/#page/n41/mode/2up)

• "James A. "Tama" Wilson Papers, RS 9/1/11". Iowa State University.

• Milner, John D. (June 22, 1973). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination: U.S. Department of Agriculture Administration Building". National Park Service.

• United States Congress. "James Wilson (id: W000590)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.

• Find A Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com : accessed 27 July 2019), memorial page for James “Tama Jim” Wilson (16 Aug 1835–26 Aug 1920), Find A Grave Memorial no. 18517287, citing Buckingham Cemetery, Traer, Tama County, Iowa, USA ; Maintained by Find A Grave .

• Political Graveyard Index to Politicians (http://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/wilson5.html)

See Also:

• Wikipedia: James_Wilson
• Wikidata: Item Q373094, en:Wikipedia