Representative James Douglass Post

James Douglass Post (November 25, 1863 – April 1, 1921) was an American educator, lawyer, and Democratic politician who served for two terms as a U.S. Representative from Ohio from 1911 to 1915. His congressional service took place during a significant period in American history, as the nation confronted issues of industrialization, political reform, and the early years of the Woodrow Wilson administration.

Post was born near Milledgeville, Fayette County, Ohio, on November 25, 1863. He attended the local common schools in his rural community, receiving the basic education typical of late nineteenth-century Midwestern farm regions. Seeking further training, he enrolled at National Normal University in Lebanon, Ohio, an institution known for preparing teachers, and was graduated in 1882. This early emphasis on education shaped the first phase of his professional life and provided a foundation for his later legal and political career.

Following his graduation, Post engaged in teaching for five years. During this period he worked in the schools of Ohio, contributing to public education at a time when the state was expanding and professionalizing its teaching corps. After several years in the classroom, he turned to the study of law, reflecting a broader pattern among educated Americans of the era who moved from teaching into the legal profession as a pathway to public service and political involvement.

Post was admitted to the bar in 1887 and commenced the practice of law at Washington Court House, Ohio, the county seat of Fayette County. Establishing himself as an attorney in this growing community, he built a legal practice that brought him into contact with local business interests, farmers, and civic leaders. His work as a lawyer, combined with his background in education, helped to establish his reputation and provided a platform for his eventual entry into elective office as a Democrat.

A member of the Democratic Party, Post was elected to the United States House of Representatives as a Democrat to the Sixty-second and Sixty-third Congresses, serving from March 4, 1911, to March 3, 1915. Representing his Ohio district in the House of Representatives, he participated in the legislative process and the broader democratic system, advocating for the interests of his constituents during a period marked by progressive reforms and debates over economic regulation and political change. During the Sixty-third Congress he served as chairman of the Committee on Elections No. 1, a key House committee responsible for adjudicating contested election cases, which underscored the confidence his colleagues placed in his judgment and legal expertise. He was not a candidate for renomination in 1914, bringing his congressional career to a close after two terms in office.

After leaving Congress in March 1915, Post resumed the practice of law at Washington Court House, returning to the profession in which he had been engaged before his election. He continued to live and work in that community, remaining a figure in local legal and civic affairs. James Douglass Post died in Washington Court House, Ohio, on April 1, 1921. He was interred in Washington Cemetery, where his burial marked the close of a career that had encompassed service as an educator, attorney, and member of the United States House of Representatives from Ohio.