Representative James Richard Waddill

James Richard Waddill (November 22, 1842 – June 14, 1917) was a Democratic U.S. Representative from Missouri’s 6th congressional district for one term and a prominent lawyer and public official in Missouri and later New Mexico. He was born in Springfield, Greene County, Missouri, the son of Judge John S. Waddill, a well-known jurist and political figure in southwest Missouri. Raised in Springfield, he attended local private schools and pursued further studies at Springfield College, receiving the education that prepared him for a career in law and public service.

During the American Civil War, Waddill supported the Union and enlisted as a private in the 8th Missouri Cavalry Regiment. He rose through the ranks and resigned in 1863 with the rank of first lieutenant. Subsequent newspaper references to him as “major” and “colonel” suggest that he continued to serve in the state militia after his resignation from the volunteer regiment, reflecting ongoing involvement in military and civic affairs during and after the conflict.

Waddill was admitted to the bar in 1864 and commenced the practice of law in Springfield. He quickly entered public life at the local level, serving as city attorney of Springfield from 1866 to 1867. Building on his growing reputation as a capable attorney, he was elected prosecuting attorney for Greene County, Missouri, a position he held from 1874 to 1876. In these roles he established himself as a leading member of the bar in southwest Missouri and an active participant in Democratic Party politics.

In 1878 Waddill was elected as a Democrat to the Forty-sixth Congress from Missouri’s 6th congressional district. He served one term, from March 4, 1879, to March 3, 1881. His tenure in Congress coincided with a period of post-Reconstruction adjustment and economic development in Missouri, during which he represented the interests of his largely rural and small-town constituents. After an unsuccessful bid for reelection, he returned to Springfield and resumed the practice of law. He also remained active in party affairs, serving on the executive committee of the Missouri State Democratic Committee, where he helped shape state party strategy and policy.

In 1893 Waddill was appointed state superintendent of insurance for Missouri, a position he held until 1899. In this capacity he oversaw the regulation of insurance companies operating in the state at a time when the industry was expanding and becoming increasingly complex. His work in insurance regulation brought him national recognition among his peers. In 1896 he sought the Democratic nomination for Governor of Missouri, but withdrew his candidacy at the state convention when it became clear that Lon Vest Stephens had secured sufficient delegate support to win the nomination. Later that same year, reflecting his prominence in the field, Waddill was elected president of the National Insurance Commissioners’ Association.

After concluding his service as state superintendent of insurance, Waddill turned to business pursuits and engaged in a mining operation near Joplin, Missouri, a center of lead and zinc mining in the region. He later relocated to Deming, New Mexico, where he resumed the practice of law. In New Mexico he continued his public service as prosecuting attorney of the 6th Judicial District, extending his legal and governmental career beyond his native state.

James Richard Waddill died in Deming, New Mexico, on June 14, 1917. He was interred in Mountain View Cemetery in Deming. His career spanned military service in the Civil War, local and county legal offices, a term in the United States House of Representatives, significant regulatory responsibilities in Missouri’s state government, and later legal and prosecutorial work in New Mexico, marking him as a figure of regional and national significance in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.