Representative Milton Jameson Durham

Milton Jameson Durham served as a Representative from Kentucky in the United States Congress from 1873 to 1879. A member of the Democratic Party, Milton Jameson Durham contributed to the legislative process during 3 terms in office.

Milton Jameson Durham’s service in Congress occurred during a significant period in American history. As a member of the House of Representatives, Milton Jameson Durham participated in the democratic process and represented the interests of constituents.

Milton Jameson Durham (May 16, 1824 – February 12, 1911) was a U.S. Representative from Kentucky and served as First Comptroller of the Treasury in the administration of President Grover Cleveland. An alumnus of DePauw University and the University of Louisville School of Law, Durham held no political office prior to his appointment as a circuit court judge by Governor Beriah Magoffin in 1861. He was elected to represent Kentucky’s Eighth District in Congress in 1872. He served three terms and was a member of several finance-related committees. He was narrowly defeated for renomination in 1878 by Philip B. Thompson, Jr. at the district’s Democratic nominating convention. After unsuccessfully trying to regain the Eighth District seat from Thompson in 1884, Durham was appointed First Comptroller of the Treasury in 1885, serving throughout President Cleveland’s term. In 1890, after battling a severe case of influenza, Durham abandoned his law practice, moving to Lexington, Kentucky and helping organize the Bank of Lexington. He was an officer of the bank for several years. He ardently held to a sound money position during the height of the Free Silver movement. He was appointed deputy clerk of the Internal Revenue Service at Lexington in 1901, a position he held until his death on February 12, 1911.