James A. Hughes

James Anthony Hughes (February 27, 1861 – March 2, 1930) was a member of the United States House of Representatives from the state of West Virginia.

Hughes was born near Corunna, Ontario, Canada. He immigrated to the United States as a youth, graduating from business school in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1875. He worked as a bank messenger, travelling salesman, and a businessman before being elected to the Kentucky House of Representatives in 1888, serving a two-year term. He was a member of the West Virginia Senate from 1894 to 1898. In 1896 Hughes was appointed postmaster of Huntington, West Virginia. He was a delegate to every Republican National Convention from 1892 to 1924.

In 1900 Hughes was elected as a Republican to the US House of Representatives and was elected six additional times before choosing not to run again in 1914. During his time as a Representative, he served as chair of the Committee on Expenditures on Public Buildings and as chair of the Committee on Accounts. After eleven years of retirement he was re-elected to the House in 1926. He served two terms before dying in office on March 2, 1930, in Marion, Ohio. He was interred in Spring Hill Cemetery in Huntington.

Hughes was, through his marriage to Belle Vinson, a member of the Vinson political family. His daughter, Eloise Hughes Smith, was among the survivors of the RMS Titanic disaster. Her husband, Lucien P. Smith, died in the sinking. She later married another Titanic survivor, Robert Williams Daniel.

References

• James A. Hughes at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress

Members of the U.S. House of Representatives from West Virginia 1st district Blair C. Hubbard Duval J. J. Davis B. Wilson Goff Pendleton Atkinson Pendleton Dovener W. Hubbard J. W. Davis Neely Rosenbloom Bachmann Ramsay Schiffler Ramsay Schiffler Neely Love Ramsay R. Mollohan Moore R. Mollohan A. Mollohan McKinley 2nd district Brown, Sr. Latham Kitchen McGrew Hagans Faulkner Martin Hoge W. Wilson Dayton T. Davis Sturgiss Brown, Jr. Bowers Allen Bowman Randolph M. Snyder Staggers, Sr. Benedict Staggers, Jr. Wise Capito Mooney 3rd district Whaley Polsley Witcher Hereford Kenna C. Snyder Alderson Huling Dorr Johnston Gaines Littlepage Avis Littlepage Reed Wolverton O'Brien Wolverton Hornor Edmiston Rohrbough Bailey Rohrbough Bailey Slack Hutchinson Staton Wise Rahall Jenkins 4th district Gibson C. Hogg Jackson C. Smith Capehart Miller Freer Hughes Woodyard Hamilton Moss Woodyard Johnson Woodyard Hughes R. Hogg Johnson Ellis Burnside Neal Burnside Neal Hechler Rahall 5th district Hughes Cooper Goodykoontz Lilly Strother Shott John Kee E. Kee James Kee 6th district Littlepage Echols Taylor England J. Smith Hedrick Byrd Slack At-large Sutherland