| James E. O'Hara | |
|---|---|
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from North Carolina's 2nd district |
|
| In office March 4, 1883 - March 3, 1887 |
|
| Preceded by | Orlando Hubbs |
| Succeeded by | Furnifold M. Simmons |
| Personal details | |
| Born | February 26, 1844 New York City |
| Died | September 15, 1905 (aged 61) New Bern, North Carolina |
| Political party | Republican |
| Profession | Lawyer |
James Edward O'Hara was an African American Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from 1883 to 1887, representing North Carolina during part of the Reconstruction era.
O'Hara was born in New York City on February 26, 1844 to an Irish merchant and a West Indian woman.[1] He studied law in North Carolina and at Howard University. After serving as clerk for the 1868 state convention that drafted a new state constitution,[2] he served in a similar role in the North Carolina House of Representatives in 1868-1869. Later, he was elected chairman of the board of commissioners for Halifax County, North Carolina (1872–1876). He was admitted to the bar in 1873 and practiced law. O'Hara was also a member of the state constitutional convention of 1875 representing Halifax County.[3]
O'Hara was elected as a Republican to the Forty-eighth and Forty-ninth Congresses (March 4, 1883 - March 3, 1887). He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1886 to the Fiftieth Congress (Furnifold M. Simmons was elected), and resumed the practice of law in New Bern, North Carolina and died there on September 15, 1905, aged 61.