Representative James Wadsworth Symington

James Wadsworth Symington (SY-ming-tən; born September 28, 1927) is an American lawyer, writer, and politician from Missouri who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives for four terms representing Missouri’s 2nd congressional district from January 3, 1969, to January 3, 1977. A member of the Democratic Party, he contributed to the legislative process during a significant period in American history, participating in the democratic process and representing the interests of his Missouri constituents in the U.S. House of Representatives. He is the son of Stuart Symington, the first Secretary of the Air Force and later a United States Senator from Missouri, and thus grew up in a family deeply involved in national public service and politics.

Symington pursued a legal education and entered the bar before embarking on a career that combined law, government service, and politics. Trained as an attorney, he developed expertise that would later inform his work in both the executive and legislative branches of the federal government. His early professional life included legal practice as well as staff and advisory roles that positioned him at the intersection of law, diplomacy, and public policy during the post–World War II and early Cold War eras.

In the late 1960s, Symington entered high-level federal service in the executive branch. From 1966 to 1968, he served as Chief of Protocol of the United States under President Lyndon B. Johnson. In this capacity he was responsible for the conduct of official diplomatic protocol for the United States, overseeing arrangements for visiting heads of state and other foreign dignitaries, and representing the country at ceremonial and state occasions. His tenure coincided with a period of intense international engagement for the United States, including the Vietnam War and evolving Cold War diplomacy, giving him substantial experience in foreign affairs and international representation.

Building on this national profile, Symington was elected as a Democrat to the United States House of Representatives from Missouri’s 2nd congressional district in 1968 and took office on January 3, 1969. He was subsequently reelected to three additional terms, serving continuously until January 3, 1977. During his four terms in Congress, he participated in committee work, floor debates, and legislative negotiations at a time marked by the Vietnam War, the civil rights movement, the Watergate scandal, and significant shifts in domestic and foreign policy. As a member of the House of Representatives, he contributed to the legislative process and represented the interests of his suburban St. Louis–area constituents, engaging with issues that reflected both national concerns and the needs of his district.

After leaving Congress in 1977, Symington resumed and expanded his work in law, public policy, and international affairs. By 2001 he was practicing law with the firm Nossaman LLP/O’Connor & Hannan, where he specialized in legislative and administrative representation, drawing on his congressional experience to advise clients on navigating federal agencies and the legislative process. His post-congressional career also included extensive involvement in transatlantic and U.S.–Russian relations, reflecting a sustained interest in international cooperation and diplomacy.

From 1986 to 2001, Symington served as a director of The Atlantic Council, a prominent policy organization focused on strengthening transatlantic ties and addressing global security and economic issues. In 1992, he founded the American-Russian Cultural Cooperation Foundation, an organization dedicated to fostering cultural understanding and exchange between the United States and Russia; he chaired the foundation from its inception until 2015. In 2001, he served as director of the Library of Congress Russian Leadership Program, which brought emerging Russian leaders to the United States for professional and cultural exchanges. In recognition of his long-standing efforts to promote U.S.–Russian cultural and civic ties, he was awarded the Order of Friendship by President of Russia Vladimir Putin in 2008.

In addition to his legal and diplomatic work, Symington has been active in cultural and literary pursuits. He appeared as a commentator in Ken Burns’s acclaimed 1990 documentary film “The Civil War,” contributing historical perspective and commentary to the widely viewed series. He has also made occasional appearances as a singer, reflecting a personal interest in music and performance. As a writer, he published a collection of poems, songs, and prose titled “A Muse ’N Washington: Beltway Ballads and Beyond” in 1999, a work that combined his experiences in public life with a creative and often satirical literary voice. Through his varied career in law, politics, diplomacy, and the arts, Symington has maintained a prominent role in American public and cultural life well beyond his years in elective office.