James Wickersham

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James Wickersham
Delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives from Alaska Territory's at-large district
In office March 4, 1931 – March 3, 1933
Preceded by	Daniel Sutherland
Succeeded by	Anthony Dimond
In office March 1, 1921 – March 3, 1921
Preceded by	George Barnes Grigsby
Succeeded by	Daniel Sutherland
In office January 7, 1919 – March 3, 1919
Preceded by	Charles August Sulzer
Succeeded by	Charles August Sulzer
In office March 4, 1909 – March 3, 1917
Preceded by	Thomas Cale
Succeeded by	Charles August Sulzer
Personal details
Born	(1857-08-24)August 24, 1857 Patoka, Illinois, U.S.
Died	October 24, 1939(1939-10-24) (aged 82) Juneau, Alaska Territory, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Deborah
Profession	judge, politician

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James Wickersham (August 24, 1857 – October 24, 1939) was a district judge for Alaska, appointed by U.S. President William McKinley to the Third Judicial District in 1900.^[1] He resigned his post in 1908 and was subsequently elected as Alaska's delegate to Congress, serving until 1917 and then being re-elected in 1930. He was instrumental in the passage of the Organic Act of 1912, which granting Alaska territorial status. He also introduced the Alaska Railroad Bill, legislation to establish McKinley Park, and the first Alaska Statehood Bill in 1916. He was among those responsible for the creation of the Alaska Agricultural College and School of Mines, which later became the University of Alaska. A residence hall on the University of Alaska Fairbanks campus is named in his honor.

Wickersham was born near Patoka, Illinois in August 1857. Many years later, in 1883, he and his wife Deborah moved to Tacoma, Washington Territory, where he became a judge. While in Tacoma he helped lead a mob which forced the city's Chinese population out of town, and was later arrested as one of the "Tacoma Twenty-Seven," though he was never convicted. He was a member of the Tacoma Academy of Science and was President of that organization in 1893. He presented a paper to the Academy on Feb. 6, 1893, entitled, "Is it Mount Tacoma, or Rainier?" During the presentation the following prominent Indians representing the Puyallup, Nesqually and Klickitat tribes were seated on the platform: George Leschi, son of Quiemuth, a leader in the Indian war of 1855; Jack Simmons; John Hiaton, one of the patriarchs of the reservation, 80 years of age, and a signer of the treaty of 1854; Mrs. John Hiaton and John Powers". The presentation has been reproduced by a digital file created at the Library of Congress.^[2]