James M. Cox

James Cox
Cox c. 1920
46th and 48th Governor of Ohio
In office
January 8, 1917 – January 10, 1921
LieutenantEarl D. Bloom
Clarence J. Brown
Preceded byFrank B. Willis
Succeeded byHarry L. Davis
In office
January 13, 1913 – January 11, 1915
LieutenantW. A. Greenlund
Preceded byJudson Harmon
Succeeded byFrank B. Willis
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Ohio's 3rd district
In office
March 4, 1909 – January 12, 1913
Preceded byJ. Eugene Harding
Succeeded byWarren Gard
Personal details
Born
James Monroe Cox[1]

(1870-03-31)March 31, 1870
Jacksonburg, Ohio, U.S.
DiedJuly 15, 1957(1957-07-15) (aged 87)
Kettering, Ohio, U.S.
Resting placeWoodland Cemetery and Arboretum
Political partyDemocratic
Spouse(s)Mayme Simpson Harding
Margaretta Parker Blair
Children6, including James, Anne, and Barbara
Signature

James Middleton Cox (born James Monroe Cox; March 31, 1870 – July 15, 1957) was an American businessman and politician who served as the 46th and 48th governor of Ohio, and a two-term U.S. Representative from Ohio. As the Democratic nominee for President of the United States at the 1920 presidential election, he lost in a landslide to fellow Ohioan Warren G. Harding. His running mate was future president Franklin D. Roosevelt. He founded the chain of newspapers that continues today as Cox Enterprises, a media conglomerate.

Born and raised in Ohio, Cox began his career as a newspaper copy reader before becoming an assistant to Congressman Paul J. Sorg. As owner of the Dayton Daily News, Cox introduced several innovations and crusaded against the local Republican Party boss. He served in the United States House of Representatives from 1909 to 1913 before being elected as Governor of Ohio. As governor, Cox introduced a series of progressive reforms and supported Woodrow Wilson's handling of World War I and its aftermath.

He was chosen as the Democratic nominee for president on the forty-fourth ballot of the 1920 Democratic National Convention. Running on a ticket with future President Franklin D. Roosevelt as his vice presidential running mate, Cox suffered the worst popular vote defeat (a 26.17% margin) since the unopposed re-election of James Monroe in 1820.

Cox retired from public office after the 1920 presidential election to focus on his media conglomerate, which expanded into several cities. By 1939, his media empire extended from Dayton to Miami. He remained active in politics, supporting Roosevelt's campaigns and attending the 1933 London Economic Conference.

  1. ^ Democratic Campaign Handbook. Washington, DC: Democratic National Committee. 1920. p. 103 – via Google Books.