Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 06.djvu/62

 JAMES

JAMES

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vestigate the expenditure of the nine million dol- lars voted by the people for the enlargement of the Erie canal.

JAMES, Edmund Janes, political economist, was born at Jacksonville, 111., May 21, 1855; son of the Rev. Colin D. and Amanda (Casad) James; grandson of the Rev. Dr. William B. and Elizabeth (Duling) James, and descendant on his mother's side of Jacqvxes Casad (Cossart), New York city, April, 1663; also of Thomas Blossom, deacon of the first Plymouth church elected in America; also of Francis Drake, William Trotter and John Martin, all of whom came to New England before 1650. His father was one of the early pioneer Methodist preachers in Illinois and was especially known for his interest in education, several of the prin- cipal educational institutions of Illinois owing much of their original impetus to liim. Ed- mund was graduated from the Illinois State Normal school, studied at the Northwestern university and Harvard college and pursued courses in economics and social science at the universities of Halle, Leipzig, and Berlin, tak- ing the degree of Ph.D. in 1877 at Halle. He was principal of the Evauston, 111., public high school, 1878-79; principal of the model school of the Illinois State Normal university, 1879-83; and was chosen professor of public finance and administration at the University of Pennsylvania in 1883, and at the same time was given charge of the Wharton School of Finance and Economy, connected with the university. He declined a professorship of political economy at Harvard in 1890; the head professorship of political science at the University of Chicago in 1892, and one in economics at the Leland Stanford, Jr., univer- sity, and the presidency of two great western state universities, and that of the University of Cincin- nati. He was sent to Europe in 1892, by the Bank- ers' association, to report on the education of busi- ness men in Europe. He accepted the chair of public administration in the University of Chicago in 1896. He was actively interested in the move- ment for the general introduction of the kinder- garten into the public school system; in the manual training movement; in the introduction of the elective system into colleges; in the de- velopment of higher commercial education, and in the agitation for the professional training of

teachers at the universities. He was elected a member of the National Council of Education, 1891, and of the American Philosophical society;, director of the American Social Science associa- tion; first president of the Municipal league, Philadelphia; vice-president of the American Economic association in. 1885; president of the University Extension society in 1894; president of the American Academy of Political and Social Science in 1889; and member and vice-president of the Illinois State Historical Library board. He founded in 1881 and edited the Illinois SchoolJour- nal (1881-83); was co-editor of the Finanzar- cliir, Wiirtemburg, Germany, 1884, and editor of Annals of the American Academij of Political and Social Science {ISS^-'dQ). His l)ibliography, which contains papers, monographs, and over one hun- dred articles in cyclopaedias and educational journals, includes, among his published volumes: Stildien ilber den Amerikanschen Zolltarif (1877); Introduction to Ingram's History of Political Economy (1888); addresses on the Education of Business Men (1891); The Farmer and Taxation (1891); Education of Business Men in Europe (1893); The City Charters of Chicago' (1898 and 1900); Municipal Government in. Prussia, and The Territorial Laws of Illinois, 1S09-1S12.

JAMES, Edwin, geologist, was born in Wey- bridge, Vt., Aug. 27, 1797; son of Daniel and. Mary (Giles) James, and grandson of Henry and Mary (Codnor) Emmes. His ancestors were among the early settlers of Rhode Island, emi- grating from Wales. James was graduated at Middlebury college, Vt., in 1816. He removed to Albany and studied medicine with his brother Dr. Daniel James; botany with Professor Torrey, and geology with Professor Amos Eaton. He was api^ointed botanist and geologist to Major Long's expedition to the Rocky mountains; was. surgeon and Indian agent for the U.S. govern- ment at the extreme frontier outposts, 1826-32, and in addition to his professional duties he made a study of the Indian dialects. He was associate editor of the Temperance Herald and Journal, Albany, N.Y., 1832-34; was again In- dian agent on the frontier, 1834-40, and surveyor and Indian agent at Burlington, Iowa, 1S40-G1. He is the author of: Expedition to the Rocky Mountains (2 vols., 1823); The Narrative of John Tanner (1830), and a translation of the New Testament into the Ojibway language (1833). He died in Burlington, Iowa, Oct. 28, 1861.

JAflES, George Francis, educator, was born in Normal, 111., Aug. 18, 1867; son of the Rev. Colin D. and Amanda (Casad) James, and brother of Edmund Janes James. He studied at the Northwestern university, Evanston, 111., and was graduated at the University of Michigan,