James S. Clarkson

James Clarkson
Chair of the Republican National Committee
In office
July 19, 1891 – June 29, 1892
Preceded byMatt Quay
Succeeded byWilliam Campbell
Personal details
Born
James Sullivan Clarkson

(1842-05-17)May 17, 1842
Brookville, Indiana, U.S.
DiedMay 30, 1918(1918-05-30) (aged 76)
Newark, New Jersey, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
SpouseAnna Howell
Children3, including Grosvenor
Signature

James Sullivan Clarkson (May 17, 1842 – May 30, 1918) was a delegate to each Republican National Convention from 1876 to 1896; a member of the Republican National Committee from 1880 to 1896; chairman of the Committee from 1891 to 1892, and President of the Republican League of the United States from 1891 to 1893. He was born in Brookville, Indiana but raised a native of Polk County, Iowa. He married Anna Howell, and together they had three children.[1]

He served as postmaster of Des Moines from 1871 to 1877, and was twice offered an ambassadorship (to Switzerland in 1869, and to China in 1890), but declined both.[2]

On April 18, 1902, he was appointed by Theodore Roosevelt as surveyor of the Port of New York until 1910.[3][4]

He died at the home of his son Grosvenor in Newark,[5] New Jersey with his wife by his side. Clarkson was buried in the family mausoleum in Des Moines, Iowa.[6]

  1. ^ Clarkson, James Sullivan
  2. ^ CLARKE, James S., in Who's Who in America (1901-1902 edition); via archive.org
  3. ^ James S. Clarkson and Theodore Roosevelt, 1901-1904: a Study in Contrasting Political Traditions in Contrasting Political Traditions
  4. ^ A Biographical Directory of the United States Customs Service, 1771-1989
  5. ^ Richmond Palladium (Daily), Volume 43, Number 173, 1 June 1918
  6. ^ "Gen. J. S. Clarkson Dies in 77th Year". The New York Times. June 1, 1918. p. 11. Retrieved July 13, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.