All photos and information furnished by Brenda Underdown

Congressman
Ollie M. James
at Work

Senator Ollie M. James at Work.

Senator James' emotion stirring speeches, together with his masterful use of
gestures for emphasis, were the greatest asset to his rocket rise to the top
in the Kentucky and National Democratic parties. Another great asset to his
political career was his knowledge of legislative procedure. This he picked
up at the age of 16 when he was a page in the 1887 Kentucky House of
Representatives and at age 18 when he was clerk of of the cloakroom in the
1889 Kentucky Senate. Admitted to the bar in 1892 his persuasive speeches
won him instant success in the legal profession and in politics.