Representative James Alexander Louttit

James Alexander Louttit (October 16, 1848 – July 26, 1906) was an American lawyer and politician who served one term as a U.S. Representative from California from 1885 to 1887. A member of the Republican Party, he represented his constituents in the United States House of Representatives during a significant period in American history, contributing to the legislative process over the course of his single term in office.

Louttit pursued a career in law, a common professional path for many nineteenth-century American politicians, and established himself in legal practice before entering national politics. His legal background informed his public service and provided the foundation for his later work in Congress, where familiarity with statutory interpretation and legal procedure was an important asset.

In 1884, Louttit was elected as a Republican to the Forty-ninth Congress, representing California in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1885 to 1887. During this term, he participated in the democratic process at the federal level, taking part in debates, committee work, and votes on legislation affecting both his state and the nation. As a member of the House of Representatives, James Alexander Louttit represented the interests of his constituents at a time when California was experiencing continued growth and integration into the broader economic and political life of the United States.

Louttit’s congressional service coincided with a transformative era in American history marked by industrial expansion, debates over tariffs and economic policy, and ongoing efforts to shape federal authority in the post–Civil War and Reconstruction period. Within this context, his role as a Republican representative from California placed him within a party that was then closely associated with economic development, infrastructure expansion, and a strong national government. Although he served only one term, his participation in the Forty-ninth Congress linked him to the broader legislative currents of the Gilded Age.

After leaving Congress in 1887, Louttit returned to private life and the practice of law. His post-congressional years were spent outside the national spotlight, but his earlier service as a U.S. Representative remained the most prominent element of his public career. He continued to be identified as a figure who had taken part in the governance of the country during a period of rapid change and modernization.

James Alexander Louttit died on July 26, 1906. His career as an American lawyer and politician, and his service as a Republican representative from California in the Forty-ninth Congress from 1885 to 1887, placed him among the many nineteenth-century officeholders who contributed to the development of federal policy and the representation of emerging Western states in the national legislature.