| James Cowgill | |
| Office: | 39th Mayor of Kansas City |
| Term Start: | 1918 |
| Term End: | January 20, 1922 |
| Predecessor: | George H. Edwards |
| Successor: | Sam B. Strother |
| Birth Date: | 2 April 1848 |
| Birth Place: | Henry County, Indiana, United States |
| Death Place: | Kansas City, Missouri, United States |
| Party: | Democratic |
| Allegiance: | United States |
| Branch: | Army |
| Serviceyears: | 1864-1865 |
| Unit: | 9th Indiana Infantry |
| Battles: | American Civil War |
James Cowgill (April 2, 1848 – January 20, 1922) was State Treasurer of Missouri from 1908 to 1912 and Mayor of Kansas City, Missouri from 1918 until he died in office.
Cowgill was born April 2, 1848, on a farm in Henry County, Indiana. In 1864, He joined the Union Army in the American Civil War. He was part of the 9th Indiana Infantry and served until the end of the war in 1865.[1]
He moved to a Caldwell County, Missouri farm in 1868. He was elected presiding Judge of the Caldwell County Court in 1882 and in 1890. He represented the county in the Missouri General Assembly.
Cowgill moved to Kansas City in 1893 and was elected city treasurer in 1900. He was president of the Pioneer Life Insurance Company.[2] After serving as State Treasurer, he was Chairman of the Democratic State Central Committee in 1916. He was member of the Kansas City Board of Elections in 1917 and elected mayor in 1918. He died at his desk.