| James H. Duff | |
|---|---|
| 34th Governor of Pennsylvania | |
| In office January 21, 1947 – January 16, 1951 |
|
| Lieutenant | Daniel Strickler |
| Preceded by | John Bell |
| Succeeded by | John Fine |
| United States Senator from Pennsylvania |
|
| In office January 3, 1951 – January 3, 1957 |
|
| Preceded by | Francis Myers |
| Succeeded by | Joseph Clark |
| Personal details | |
| Born | January 21, 1883 Carnegie, Pennsylvania |
| Died | December 20, 1969 (aged 86) Washington, DC |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse(s) | Jean Taylor |
| Profession | Attorney, Politician |
| Religion | Presbyterian |
James Henderson Duff (January 21, 1883 – December 20, 1969) was an American lawyer and politician. A member of the Republican Party, he served as United States Senator from Pennsylvania from 1951 to 1957. He previously served as the 34th Governor of Pennsylvania from 1947 to 1951.
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James Duff was born in Mansfield (now Carnegie), a suburb of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.[1] The oldest of four children, he was the son of Rev. Joseph Miller and Margaret (née Morgan) Duff.[2] His father was a Presbyterian minister for forty years, and his paternal grandfather was the first college-educated doctor in western Pennsylvania.[3] Two of his great-grandfathers were members of the Provincial Council of Pennsylvania between 1683 and 1717.[4]
After graduating at the top of his class at Carnegie High School, Duff attended Princeton University in New Jersey, where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1904.[1] He originally intended to study medicine but, after winning two medals in public speaking at Princeton, decided to study law instead.[4] He attended the University of Pennsylvania Law School in Philadelphia until 1906, when he transferred to the University of Pittsburgh Law School to be closer to home.[2] In 1907, he received his law degree and was admitted to the bar.[1] He married Jean Kerr Taylor in 1909; the couple had only one child who died in infancy, but they raised a nephew after his father died.[3]
Duff practiced law in Pittsburgh for thirty-six years, establishing the law firm of Duff, Scott and Smith.[4] He also served as solicitor of Carnegie, and was an elector for Theodore Roosevelt in the 1912 presidential election.[2] In addition to practicing law, Duff was engaged in the oil business for several years. He began by buying an oil driller's rig and taking a lease on some property about five miles from his home, where he struck oil.[5] He subsequently engaged in ventures in other parts of western Pennsylvania as well as Mexico.[5] He also served as president of the Criterion Oil Company and of the Westmoreland Natural Gas Company.[2] He lost his fortune in the 1929 stock market crash, taking several years to recover financially.[5] He was a delegate to the Republican National Convention in 1932, 1936, and 1940.[4]
Duff was appointed Attorney General of Pennsylvania by Governor Edward Martin in 1943, serving in that position until 1947.[1] During his tenure, he worked to strengthen the state's anti-stream pollution law despite facing strong opposition from the coal industry.[5] He also fought against the mining industry after promoting legislation to prevent the discharge of mine silt into the Schuylkill River.[5]
In 1946, Governor John C. Bell, Jr. declined to be a candidate in the gubernatorial election after Governor Martin resigned to take a seat in the United States Senate. Duff subsequently won the Republican nomination, and was elected the 34th Governor of Pennsylvania in the general election.[1] His campaign focused on the issues of conservation, public health, and education.[5] He handily defeated his Democratic opponent, Gettysburg apple farmer John S. Rice, by more than 557,000 votes.[4]
Duff was elected to the United States Senate from Pennsylvania in 1950. After losing the 1956 senatorial election to Democrat Joseph Clark in one of the closest elections in Pennsylvania history, Duff retired from politics, but remained in Washington, D.C. as a partner in the law firm of Davies, Richberg, Tydings, Landa & Duff. He died in Washington, D.C., and was buried in Carnegie, Pennsylvania.
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by John Bell |
Governor of Pennsylvania 1947–1951 |
Succeeded by John Fine |
| United States Senate | ||
| Preceded by Francis Myers |
United States Senator (Class 3) from Pennsylvania 1951 – 1957 Served alongside: Edward Martin |
Succeeded by Joseph Clark |
| Party political offices | ||
| Preceded by Edward Martin |
Republican nominee for Governor of Pennsylvania 1946 (won) |
Succeeded by John Fine |
| Preceded by James Davis |
Republican nominee for United States Senator (Class 3) from Pennsylvania 1950, 1956 |
Succeeded by James Van Zandt |
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