James A. Hughes

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James A. Hughes
Frontispiece of 1930's James A. Hughes, Late a Representative
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from West Virginia
In office March 4, 1927 – March 2, 1930
Preceded by	Harry C. Woodyard
Succeeded by	Robert Lynn Hogg
Constituency	4th district
In office March 4, 1901 – March 3, 1915
Preceded by	Romeo H. Freer
Succeeded by	Edward Cooper
Constituency	4th district (1901–1903) 5th district (1903–1915)
Member of the West Virginia Senate from the 6th district
In office December 1, 1894 – February 1898
Preceded by	James H. Marcum
Succeeded by	James H. Marcum
Personal details
Born	James Anthony Hughes (1861-02-27)February 27, 1861 near Corunna, Province of Canada
Died	March 2, 1930(1930-03-02) (aged 69) Marion, Ohio, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Ida Belle Vinson ​ (m. 1885)​
Children	2, including Eloise

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 in the Province of Canada (in what is now Ontario). 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 U.S. House of Representatives in the 4th congressional district.^[1][2] After his first term, he represented West Virginia's 5th, 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 for the 4th congressional district. 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, Lucian P. Smith, died in the sinking. She later married another Titanic survivor, Robert Daniel.^[3]

• List of United States Congress members who died in office (1900–49)