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James McLachlan (American politician)

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James McLachlan
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from California
In office
March 4, 1895 – March 3, 1897
Preceded byMarion Cannon
Succeeded byCharles A. Barlow
Constituency6th district
In office
March 4, 1901 – March 3, 1911
Preceded byRussell J. Waters
Succeeded byWilliam Stephens
Constituency6th district (1901–03)
7th district (1903–11)
Personal details
Born(1852-08-01)August 1, 1852
Argyllshire, Scotland
DiedNovember 21, 1940(1940-11-21) (aged 88)
Los Angeles, California
Resting placeForest Lawn Memorial Park
Glendale, California
Political partyRepublican

James McLachlan (August 1, 1852 – November 21, 1940) was an American educator, lawyer and politician who served six terms as a U.S. Representative from California.

Early life

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McLachlan was born in Argyllshire, Scotland, on August 1, 1852.[1] He immigrated to the United States in 1855 with his parents, who settled in Tompkins County, New York. He was reared on a farm there.

Education

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He attended the public schools in Tompkins County. Eventually, he attended Hamilton College in Clinton, New York, graduating in 1878.

Career

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Even before McLachlan went to college, he was a teacher in the public schools he had attended. He was elected school commissioner of Tompkins County in 1877, while still earning his degree.

After his college graduation, McLachlan studied law. He was admitted to practice in New York State in 1880, and practiced law in Ithaca, New York from 1881 to 1888, when he moved to Pasadena, California

McLachlan continued his law practice in Pasadena. From 1890 to 1892, he served as Los Angeles County District Attorney.[1]

Congress

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On November 6, 1894, McLachlan was elected as a Republican to the Fifty-fourth Congress (March 4, 1895 – March 3, 1897),[2] defeating Democrat George S. Patton (whose son, George S. Patton, Jr., was the famous World War II general). In 1896, McLachlan was unsuccessful for re-election to Congress, losing to Charles A. Barlow, who had both the Populist and Democratic nominations.

McLachlan was elected to the Fifty-seventh through the Sixty-first Congresses (March 4, 1901 – March 3, 1911).[3] He was defeated for renomination to Congress in 1910 by future governor William Stephens.

Later life and death

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McLachlan resumed the practice of law in Los Angeles and served as a member of the National Monetary Commission in 1911-1912. He died in Los Angeles on November 21, 1940 at the age of 88,[1] and was interred at Forest Lawn Memorial-Park in Glendale, California.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c "James McLachlan (Republican)". joincalifornia.com. Retrieved June 16, 2019.
  2. ^ "November 6, 1894 General Election". joincalifornia.com. November 6, 1894. Retrieved June 16, 2019.
  3. ^ "S. Doc. 58-1 - Fifty-eighth Congress. (Extraordinary session -- beginning November 9, 1903.) Official Congressional Directory for the use of the United States Congress. Compiled under the direction of the Joint Committee on Printing by A.J. Halford. Special edition. Corrections made to November 5, 1903". GovInfo.gov. U.S. Government Printing Office. 9 November 1903. p. 8. Retrieved 2 July 2023.

Additional sources

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U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from California's 6th congressional district

1895–1897
Succeeded by
Preceded by Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from California's 6th congressional district

1901–1903
Succeeded by
Preceded by Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from California's 7th congressional district

1903–1911
Succeeded by