James Patrick Leamy Explained

James Patrick Leamy
Office1:Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Vermont
Term Start1:May 7, 1940
Term End1:July 22, 1949
Appointer1:Franklin D. Roosevelt
Predecessor1:Harland Bradley Howe
Successor1:Ernest W. Gibson Jr.
Office2:President of the Vermont Bar Association
Term Start2:1938
Term End2:1939
Predecessor2:Arthur L. Graves
Successor2:Neil D. Clawson
Birth Date:16 January 1892
Birth Place:West Rutland, Vermont, U.S.
Death Place:West Rutland, Vermont, U.S.
Resting Place:Saint Bridgets Cemetery, West Rutland
Party:Democratic
Spouse:Margaret Lalor (m. 1927)
Children:1
Education:
Boston College (MA)
Harvard University (LLB)
Occupation:Attorney

James Patrick Leamy (January 16, 1892 – July 22, 1949) was a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of Vermont.

Education and career

Leamy was born in West Rutland, Vermont on January 16, 1892, the son of James Leamy and Catherine (Clark) Leamy.[1] He was educated in West Rutland and graduated from West Rutland High School.[2] He received an Bachelor of Arts degree from College of the Holy Cross in 1912, a Master of Arts degree from Boston College in 1913, and a Bachelor of Laws from Harvard Law School in 1915.[3] He was admitted to the bar in 1916 and began a private practice in Rutland, Vermont from 1916 to 1940.[4] He was a United States Commissioner for the United States District Court for the District of Vermont from 1917 to 1931, and a Referee in Bankruptcy for the United States District Court for the District of Vermont from 1931 to 1940.[5]

Political career

Leamy was a Democrat,[6] and served in local offices including school board member.[7] He also served as chairman of the Democratic Party in West Rutland and in Rutland County.[8] [9] His uncle Frank Duffy was Vermont's longtime member of the Democratic National Committee, and Leamy served as Chairman of the Vermont Democratic Party during the period of more than 100 years when Republicans won every election for statewide office in Vermont.[10] Leamy ran unsuccessfully for Vermont Attorney General (1920, 1922), State's Attorney of Rutland County (1924), Governor of Vermont (1932, 1934) and Congressman from Vermont (1938).[6] [11] [12] From 1938 to 1939 he was President of the Vermont Bar Association.[13]

Federal judicial service

On April 12, 1940, Leamy was nominated by President Franklin D. Roosevelt to a seat on the United States District Court for the District of Vermont vacated by Judge Harland Bradley Howe.[14] Leamy was confirmed by the United States Senate on April 30, 1940, and received his commission on May 7, 1940. He served until his death from a heart attack in West Rutland on July 2, 1949.[2] Leamy was buried at Saint Bridgets Cemetery in West Rutland.[2]

Family

In 1927, Leamy married Margaret Lalor (1893–1984) of Rutland.[2] They were the parents of a son, James Jr.[2]

Sources

Notes and References

  1. Book: Fifield . James Clark . 1921 . The American Bar: A Biographical Directory of Contemporary Lawyers of the United States and Canada . Minneapolis, MN . The James C. Fifield Company . 1044 . Google Books.
  2. News: July 23, 1949 . James P. Leamy Dies Suddenly At Home . The Barre Daily Times . Barre, VT . 1 . Newspapers.com.
  3. Book: Harvard University . 1920 . Quinquennial Catalogue of the Officers and Graduates of Harvard University, 1636-1920 . Cambridge, MA . The University Press . 897 . Google Books.
  4. Book: Bicentennial Committee, Judicial Conference of the United States . 1983 . Judges of the United States . 2 . Washington, DC . U.S. Government Printing Office . 288 . Google Books.
  5. News: June 5, 1917 . News of the City: Rutland Briefs; James P. Leamy . . Rutland, VT . 7 . Newspapers.com.
  6. Web site: Vermont gubernatorial elections, 1791-present. Ballotpedia.
  7. News: June 14, 1924 . West Rutland: High School Graduation . . Rutland, VT . 9 . Newspapers.com.
  8. News: March 3, 1917 . West Rutland Caucus . . Rutland, VT . 1 . Newspapers.com.
  9. News: October 28, 1926 . Comings If Confident Of Victory . . Rutland, VT . 1 . Newspapers.com.
  10. Book: Hand, Samuel B . 2002 . The Star That Set: The Vermont Republican Party, 1854-1974 . Lanham, MD . Lexington Books . 132 . 978-0-7391-0600-6 . Google Books.
  11. News: September 30, 1924 . Democrats to Convene Today In This City . . Rutland, VT . 3 . Newspapers.com.
  12. Web site: Election Results Archive: James P. Leamy . Vermont Elections Database . Vermont Secretary of State . Montpelier, VT . March 21, 2021.
  13. Web site: Vermont Bar Association: Past Presidents. 2014-06-26. 2015-01-18. https://web.archive.org/web/20150118222727/https://www.vtbar.org/UserFiles/files/About%20the%20VBA/Past%20President%20List.pdf. dead.
  14. News: April 12, 1940 . Jas. P. Leamy Is Named For Federal Judge . Barre Daily Times . Barre, VT . 1 . Newspapers.com.