Representative James Monroe Ritchie

James Monroe Ritchie (July 28, 1829 – August 17, 1918) was an American lawyer and politician who served one term as a U.S. Representative from Ohio from 1881 to 1883. A member of the Republican Party, he represented an Ohio district in the Forty-seventh Congress and was the father of Byron Foster Ritchie, who also later served in Congress.

Ritchie was born in Dunfermline, Scotland, on July 28, 1829. In 1832 he immigrated to the United States with his parents, who settled in St. Lawrence County, New York. His early formal schooling was limited, and much of his education came from instruction at home provided by his father and mother. Growing up in a rural area of upstate New York, he developed the foundation in reading and study that would later enable him to pursue a professional career in the law.

After his early years in New York, Ritchie studied law and prepared for admission to the bar. He moved to Ohio, where he completed his legal training and was admitted to the bar in 1858. He commenced the practice of law in Toledo, Ohio, building a professional reputation in that growing commercial city. His legal career in Toledo placed him in contact with local business interests and civic affairs, and he became identified with the Republican Party as it consolidated its position in Ohio politics in the decades following the Civil War.

Ritchie’s involvement in party activities led to his selection as a delegate to the Republican National Convention in 1880, a gathering that nominated James A. Garfield of Ohio for the presidency. His participation in national party deliberations reflected his standing within the Republican organization in his state and helped pave the way for his own candidacy for federal office.

In 1880 Ritchie was elected as a Republican to the Forty-seventh Congress, serving from March 4, 1881, to March 3, 1883. As a member of the Republican Party representing Ohio, he contributed to the legislative process during his single term in office, participating in the democratic process and representing the interests of his constituents during a significant period in American history marked by post-Reconstruction adjustment and industrial expansion. He was not a candidate for renomination in 1882, choosing instead to return to private life after the completion of his term.

Following his service in Congress, Ritchie again resumed the practice of law in Toledo, Ohio. He continued his legal work there for many years, remaining a respected member of the local bar and maintaining his connections to public affairs through his family and professional associations. He lived to see the public career of his son, Byron Foster Ritchie, who followed him into national office as a member of Congress, extending the family’s involvement in American political life.

James Monroe Ritchie died in Toledo, Ohio, on August 17, 1918. He was interred in Grafton Cemetery in Grafton, Ohio. His long life spanned from the era of Jacksonian America through World War I, and his career reflected the opportunities available to immigrants who combined professional training with political engagement in nineteenth-century United States public life.