Senator James Pleasants

James Pleasant Woods (February 4, 1868 – July 7, 1948) was a U.S. Representative from Virginia and a prominent attorney, municipal official, and educational leader in the state. He also served in the United States Congress from 1919 to 1923, during a significant period in American political and social history. Earlier biographical records have occasionally conflated his career with that of James Pleasants, a Senator from Virginia who served in the United States Congress from 1811 to 1823 as a member of the Republican Party; however, Woods’s own congressional service was in the U.S. House of Representatives in the early twentieth century.

Woods was born near Roanoke, Virginia, on February 4, 1868, and was educated in the common schools of the area. Growing up in the post–Civil War South, he came of age during Reconstruction and the subsequent period of economic and social reorganization in Virginia. His early education prepared him for advanced study and laid the foundation for a career that would combine law, public service, and higher education leadership.

Pursuing higher education close to home, Woods attended Roanoke College in Salem, Virginia, from which he graduated in 1892. During his time at Roanoke College he was president of his class and a member of the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity, reflecting both academic distinction and active participation in collegiate life. He continued his professional preparation by studying law at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville in 1892 and 1893. In recognition of his later achievements and long association with the institution, Roanoke College conferred upon him an honorary Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) degree in 1948.

After completing his legal studies, Woods was admitted to the bar in 1893 and commenced the practice of law in Roanoke, Virginia. He quickly became involved in local affairs and entered municipal politics. He served as a member of the Roanoke City Council from 1897 to 1898 and was subsequently elected mayor of Roanoke, holding that office from 1898 to 1900. In these roles he participated in the governance and development of a rapidly growing industrial city at the turn of the twentieth century, gaining administrative and political experience that would later support his congressional career.

Woods’s national political career began when he was elected as a Democrat to the U.S. House of Representatives. He was chosen in a special election to the Sixty-fifth Congress to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Carter Glass, and he also served in the Sixty-sixth and Sixty-seventh Congresses. His tenure in the House extended from February 25, 1919, to March 3, 1923. In the 1918 special election he was elected with 88.24 percent of the vote, defeating Independent candidate F. S. Layne. He was reelected in 1920 with 58.97 percent of the vote, defeating Republican William Doak. During these three terms in office, Woods participated in the legislative process and represented the interests of his Virginia constituents in the aftermath of World War I, a period marked by economic adjustment, debates over international engagement, and domestic reform. He was also a delegate to the Democratic National Convention in 1920. He was an unsuccessful candidate for renomination in 1922, which brought his congressional service to a close on March 3, 1923.

Following his departure from Congress, Woods resumed the practice of law in Roanoke, maintaining his professional standing in the legal community. At the same time, he devoted substantial energy to higher education governance in Virginia. He served as president and member of the board of trustees of Roanoke College for thirty-one years, playing a central role in the institution’s oversight and development. His influence extended beyond his alma mater; he was a member of the board of trustees of the Randolph-Macon system of colleges and served as rector of the board of visitors of the Virginia Polytechnic Institute (now Virginia Tech). Through these positions, Woods contributed to the advancement of higher education in Virginia over several decades.

James Pleasant Woods died at his home in Roanoke, Virginia, on July 7, 1948. He was interred in Evergreen Burial Park in Roanoke. His life encompassed service at the municipal, state, and national levels, including five terms in public office—two in local government and three in the United States Congress—and long-standing leadership in Virginia’s educational institutions.