Representative J. Harry McGregor

James Harry McGregor (September 30, 1896 – October 7, 1958) was an American World War I veteran, businessman, and Republican politician who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from Ohio from 1940 until his death in 1958. Over the course of his congressional career, he was elected to nine consecutive terms, and he is also recorded as having served ten terms in Congress between 1939 and 1959, reflecting his long and continuous service during a significant period in American history.

McGregor was born on a farm near Unionport, Jefferson County, Ohio, on September 30, 1896. He was raised in rural eastern Ohio and attended the local public schools before pursuing higher education. He studied at West Lafayette College and later at Oberlin College, institutions that provided him with a broad academic foundation and prepared him for both business and public service. His early life on a farm and his education in Ohio’s schools and colleges helped shape his understanding of the needs and concerns of his future constituents.

During the First World War, McGregor served in the United States Army, entering military service in 1917. He rose to the rank of sergeant in the 176th Field Artillery, where he served through 1918. His wartime experience as a noncommissioned officer contributed to his leadership skills and sense of duty, qualities that would later characterize his public career. Following his honorable service, he returned to Ohio at the close of the war.

After World War I, McGregor established himself in private enterprise. From 1918 to 1945 he was engaged in the lumber and general contracting business in West Lafayette, Ohio. In addition to his business pursuits, he became active in local civic affairs. He served as a member of the school board in West Lafayette for eight years, demonstrating an early commitment to public education and local governance. His work in business and on the school board provided him with practical experience in administration and community leadership.

McGregor’s formal political career began at the state level. He was elected to the Ohio House of Representatives, serving from 1935 to 1940. Within the state legislature he quickly assumed positions of responsibility. He served as minority whip from 1937 to 1939, helping to organize and lead his party’s legislative strategy. In 1939 and 1940 he advanced to the roles of majority leader and speaker pro tempore, reflecting the confidence his colleagues placed in his abilities and marking him as a prominent figure in Ohio Republican politics.

McGregor entered the United States Congress during the Seventy-sixth Congress. He was elected as a Republican to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Representative William A. Ashbrook, taking office in 1940. He was subsequently reelected to the Seventy-seventh Congress and to eight succeeding Congresses, serving continuously from 1940 until his death in 1958. His service is also described as spanning from 1939 to 1959, encompassing ten terms in office and underscoring the length and continuity of his tenure. As a member of the House of Representatives, McGregor participated actively in the legislative process and represented the interests of his Ohio constituents through the tumultuous years of World War II, the early Cold War, and the beginning of the civil rights era.

During his time in Congress, McGregor held important committee responsibilities. He served as chairman of the Special Committee on Chamber Improvements during the Eightieth and Eighty-third Congresses, overseeing matters related to the physical facilities and functioning of the House chamber. His voting record reflected engagement with major national issues; notably, he voted in favor of the Civil Rights Act of 1957, supporting landmark federal civil rights legislation at a critical moment in American history. Throughout his congressional career, he remained a loyal member of the Republican Party and a consistent participant in the democratic process.

McGregor died in office on October 7, 1958, in Coshocton, Ohio, at the age of 62. At the time of his death, he had already been renominated for election to the Eighty-sixth Congress, indicating that his constituents and party expected his service to continue. He was interred in Fairfield Cemetery in West Lafayette, Ohio. His long tenure in the House, his World War I service, his years in business and state government, and his role in mid-twentieth-century national legislation mark him as a significant figure in Ohio’s congressional history.