James Martin Barnes (January 9, 1899June 8, 1958) was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Illinois and administrative assistant to Presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt and Harry S. Truman.
Early life James Martin Barnes was born on January 9, 1899, in Jacksonville, Illinois. He attended the local schools and served in the United States Marine Corps during World War I.Illinois Secretary of State, Illinois Blue Book, 1941, page 55
Career Barnes graduated from Illinois College in 1921 and Harvard Law School in 1924. He was admitted to the bar in 1924 and practiced in Jacksonville. He was also active in business, and served on the boards of directors of the Ideal Baking Company, the Jacksonville Farm Supply Company and other companies.Durward Howes, editor, Who's Who Among the Young Men of the Nation, Volume 2, 1936, page 33
A Democrat, he served as Morgan County Judge from 1926 to 1934, afterwards resuming the practice of law.John Leonard Conger, William Edgar Hull, editors, History of the Illinois River Valley, Volume 3, 1932, page 85Chicago Tribune, Obituary, James M. Barnes, June 9, 1958
Barnes was elected to the Seventy-sixth and Seventy-seventh Congresses and served from January 3, 1939, to January 3, 1943. He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1942.Chicago Tribune, Illinois G.O.P. Wins Four More Congress Posts, November 5, 1942
In March 1943, Barnes was appointed as administrative assistant to President Roosevelt. He continued in the position under President Truman following Roosevelt's death, serving from March 1, 1943, to July 15, 1945.Chicago Tribune, Downstate Lame Duck Appointed Roosevelt Aide: Ex-Rep. Barnes Gets $10,000 Job, March 4, 1943 In 1944 he was a delegate to the Democratic National Convention.Associated Press, Dubuque Herald, Still Awaiting FDR's Views on Vice President, July 16, 1944
After leaving the White House Barnes practiced law in Washington, D.C.Associated Press, Lewiston Tribune, Ex-Congressman Dead, June 9, 1958Illinois State Bar Association, Illinois Bar Journal, Volume 34, 1946, page 27
Death and burial
Barnes died in Washington, D.C., on June 8, 1958.New York Times, James Barnes, Ex-Representative, Dies; Lawyer in Capital Was Roosevelt Aide, June 9, 1958 He was buried at Arlington National Cemetery, Section 13, Grave 14684–22–23. His gravesite is near the intersections of Farragut and Wilson Drives.Arlington National Cemetery, Burial record, James Martin Barnes , accessed August 15, 2013
References
External links
James Martin Barnes Papers, Manuscript Division, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.