James I. McKay

American politician (1792–1853)

James Iver McKay


Dean of the United States House of Representatives
In office February 23, 1848 – March 4, 1849
Preceded by	John Quincy Adams
Succeeded by	Linn Boyd
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from North Carolina
In office March 4, 1831 – March 3, 1849
Preceded by	Edward Bishop Dudley
Succeeded by	William Shepperd Ashe
Constituency	5th district (1831–1843) 6th district (1843–1847) 7th district (1847–1849)

Personal details
Born	(1792-07-17)July 17, 1792 Elizabethtown, North Carolina, U.S.
Died	September 14, 1853(1853-09-14) (aged 61) Goldsboro, North Carolina, U.S.
Political party	Democratic

James Iver McKay (July 17, 1792 – September 14, 1853) was an American lawyer and politician who served nine terms as a member of the United States House of Representatives from North Carolina from 1831 to 1849.

Early life and education

He was born in 1792,^[1] near Elizabethtown, North Carolina. He pursued classical studies and then law.

Career

He was appointed United States attorney for the district of North Carolina on March 6, 1817, and also served in the North Carolina General Assembly (1815–1819, 1822, 1826, and 1830).

Congress

He was elected as a Jacksonian to the 22nd through 24th congresses (1831–1837) and as a Democrat to the 25th through 30th congresses (1837–1849). He served as chairman of the: Committee on Military Affairs (25th Congress), Committee on the Post Office and Post Roads (26th Congress), Committee on Expenditures in the Department of War (27th Congress), Ways and Means Committee (28th and 29th congresses).

He was also the chief sponsor of the Walker Tariff of 1846;^[2] and was the favorite son of the North Carolina delegation at the 1848 Democratic National Convention for Vice President. McKay also introduced the Coinage Act of 1849 on the House floor, with it successfully passing.^[3]

Death and burial

McKay died in Goldsboro, North Carolina, September 14, 1853.^[4] Though an unapologetic slave-owner, his will included the unusual provision that 30–40 of his slaves be placed under the supervision of the American Colonization Society.^[5]

References

^ Dictionary of North Carolina Biography
^ New York Daily Tribune, July 7, 1846, p. 2.
^ "House Journal --THURSDAY, January 25, 1849".
^ Congressional Biography
^ Clegg, Claude A., III, The Price of Liberty: African Americans and the making of Liberia, Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2009, p. 192.

External links

U.S. Congress Biographical Directory entry

U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by Edward B. Dudley	Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from North Carolina's 5th congressional district 1831 – 1843	Succeeded by Romulus M. Saunders
Preceded by Archibald H. Arrington	Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from North Carolina's 6th congressional district 1843 – 1847	Succeeded by John Daniel
Preceded by John Daniel	Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from North Carolina's 7th congressional district 1847 – 1849	Succeeded by William S. Ashe

Chairs of the United States House Committee on Armed Services

Military Affairs Committee
(1822–1947)

Naval Affairs Committee
(1822–1947)

Armed Services Committee*
(from 1947)

^*Alternately named National Security in 104th and 105th Congresses.

v t e Chairs of the United States House Committee on Post Office and Civil Service
Post Office and Post Roads (1808–1947)	Rhea Ingham Livermore F. Johnson J. Johnson Ingham McKean R. Johnson Connor McKay Briggs Hopkins Goggin Potter Olds Mace English Colfax Alley Farnsworth Packer Clark Waddell Money Bingham Money Blount Bingham J. Henderson Loud Overstreet Weeks Moon Steenerson Griest Sanders Mead Romjue Burch O'Brien
(Reform in the) Civil Service* (1893–1947)	Andrew De Forest Brosius Gillett Godwin Hamill Godwin Lehlbach Jeffers Ramspeck Randolph
Post Office and Civil Service (1947–1995)	Rees Murray Rees Murray Dulski D. Henderson Nix Hanley Ford Clay
Note	^Name shortened from Reform in the Civil Service* to Civil Service in 1925.

v t e Chairmen of the United States House Committee on Ways and Means
Fitzsimons W. Smith Harper Griswold Randolph Clay G. Campbell Eppes Bacon Cheves Eppes Lowndes S. Smith McLane Randolph McDuffie Verplanck Polk Cambreleng J. W. Jones Fillmore McKay Vinton Bayly Houston L. Campbell J. G. Jones Phelps Sherman Stevens Morrill Schenck Hooper Dawes Morrison Wood Tucker Kelley Morrison R. Mills McKinley Springer Wilson Dingley Payne Underwood Kitchin Fordney Green Hawley Collier Doughton Knutson Doughton Reed Cooper W. Mills Ullman Rostenkowski Gibbons Archer Thomas Rangel Levin Camp Ryan Johnson Brady Neal J. Smith
Italics indicates acting chairman

v t e Deans of the United States House of Representatives
Muhlenberg Hartley/Thatcher Grove/Gregg/Macon Stanford Davenport Newton McCoy Williams Everett/Lewis Adams/McKay Boyd Giddings Phelps Washburne Dawes Kelley Randall Cannon/Mills/Blount/Bland Culberson Reed/Harmer Bingham Dalzell Payne Jones Cooper/Gillett Butler Haugen Pou Sabath Doughton Rayburn Vinson Celler Patman Mahon Whitten Dingell Conyers Young Rogers