William H. James

William H. James
Acting Governor of Nebraska
In office June 2, 1871 – January 13, 1873
Preceded by	David Butler
Succeeded by	Robert Wilkinson Furnas
Personal details
Born	(1831-10-16)October 16, 1831 Marion, Ohio
Died	February 1, 1920(1920-02-01) (aged 88) Colfax, Washington
Political party	Republican
Profession	Lawyer

William Hartford James (October 16, 1831 – February 1, 1920) was a Republican Nebraska politician who served as the acting governor of Nebraska from 1871 to 1873. He was also a member of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Board of Regents during his tenure as governor.

James was born at Marion, Ohio. He attended the public school and Marion Academy for two years^[1] and worked on the family farm. He began studying law on his own, and in 1853, James moved to Des Moines, Iowa, and joined a law firm. He was admitted to the Iowa Bar Association in 1855 and moved to Sergeant Bluff to start his own legal practice. He married Louisa Epler and they had four children.^[2]