James Churchill Oliver (1895 - 1986)

Born 6 Aug 1895 in South Portland, Maine, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Alice Deering (McCrum) Oliver — married 9 Jun 1923 in South Portland, Maine, United States

Descendants

Died 25 Dec 1986 at age 91 in Orlando, Florida, United States

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Geoff Buck [send private message] and Nancy Oliver [send private message]

Preceded by Simon M. Hamlin Preceded by Robert Hale

James C. Oliver US Representative from Maine (1st district) 1937—1943 US Representative from Maine (1st district) 1959—1961

Succeeded by Robert Hale Suceeded by Peter A. Garland

Biography

James Oliver is Notable.

James was born in South Portland, Maine in 1895. He was the son of Scott Oliver and Alice (Smith) Oliver. He owned a car dealership in Lewiston, Maine, where he met his wife, Alice (McCrum) Oliver, and had a son before the stock market crash of 1929 forced the family to move in with his in-laws in Portland.

James's political career began shortly thereafter; he was elected alderman in South Portland in 1932, a position from which he led a movement that changed the city's government to the council-manager form. This ousted Simon Hamlin from the Mayor's office in South Portland, the first time James defeated him in a political contest. In 1936 James ran for congress in Maine's first district, winning the Republican primary against 8 other candidates. He was a progressive Republican, receiving the endorsement of both Father Coughlin's Social Justice movement and Dr. Francis Townsend. He would go on to serve three terms in congress after defeating the incumbent Democrat Simon Hamlin. James was unseated when he lost a primary challenge in 1942 from Robert Hale.

James would spend the duration of the Second World War with a commission in the Coast Guard. By 1949 rumors began circulating in the Portland society pages that he would switch parties and run for Governor of Maine as a Democrat. Eventually he did unsuccessfully in 1952, then ran for congress in his old district, now firmly a Democrat, in 1954 and 1956. Finally, in 1958, he retook the congressional seat he first won in 1936 from his old primary challenger, Robert Hale. He served one final term, 1959—1961, before losing to another Republican, Peter Garland, ending his political career. James served as a delegate to the Democratic National Convention in Los Angeles where he and the rest of the delegates from New England served as John F. Kennedy's base of support to win the presidential nomination.

James died in Florida in 1986.

James Churchill was born in 1895. He passed away about 1986. ^[1]

Sources

1. ↑ Personal recollection of events witnessed by Nancy Oliver as remembered 9 Jun 2021.

• "Maine Vital Records, 1670-1921," database with images, FamilySearch. James Churchill, 05 Aug 1895. Citing South Portland, , Maine, United States, Division of Vital Statistics, State Board of Health, Augusta; FHL microfilm.
• "United States Census, 1910," database with images, FamilySearch. James C Oliver in household of Scott H Oliver, South Portland Ward 1, Cumberland, Maine, United States. Citing enumeration district (ED) ED 102, sheet 4B, family 110, NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1982), roll 540; FHL microfilm 1,374,553.
• "Maine, Marriage Index, 1892-1966, 1977-1996," database, FamilySearch. James C Oliver and Alice D Mccrum, 09 Jun 1923. Citing Marriage, Maine, United States, State Archives, Augusta.
• "United States Census, 1930," database with images, FamilySearch. James C Oliver in household of George Mc Crum, Portland, Cumberland, Maine, United States. Citing enumeration district (ED) ED 62, sheet 7A, line 19, family 172, NARA microfilm publication T626 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2002), roll 831; FHL microfilm 2,340,566.
• "United States Census, 1940," database with images, FamilySearch. James C Oliver, Ward 1, South Portland, South Portland City, Cumberland, Maine, United States. Citing enumeration district (ED) 3-128, sheet 14A, line 38, family 313, Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940, NARA digital publication T627. Records of the Bureau of the Census, 1790 - 2007, RG 29. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2012, roll 1477.

See also:

• Wikipedia: James C. Oliver
• Wikidata: Item Q1680115, en:Wikipedia