Notable people · Governor · Journalist · Congressman
James M. Cox
Born in Jacksonburg (Butler County), Cox was a Dayton newspaper publisher, congressman, governor 1913-15 and 1917-21, and the 1920 Democratic presidential nominee.
At a glance
- Born
- 1870-03-31
- Died
- 1957-07-15
- Education
- One-room school, Butler County, OH, to age 16
- Known as
- Governor, Journalist, Congressman
- Organizations
- Cox Enterprises
Life story
James Cox was born on a Butler County farm in 1870, the youngest of seven children. He left a one-room school at sixteen and apprenticed at the Middletown Weekly Signal.
He worked as a reporter in Cincinnati, then as a congressman's secretary. In 1900 he took over the struggling Dayton Evening News and turned it into a success, and in 1905 he bought a Springfield paper.
He served in Congress (1909-1913), then as governor (1913-1915 and 1917-1921), pushing workers' compensation and highway programs.
In 1920 the Democrats nominated him for president with Franklin Roosevelt as running mate; Warren Harding won in a landslide. Cox returned to newspapers and radio, and his holdings grew into Cox Enterprises. He died in 1957.
Timeline
- 1886: Apprentices at Middletown Weekly Signal (Middletown, OH) source
- 1892: Copy reader at Cincinnati Enquirer (Cincinnati, OH) source
- 1893: Marries Mayme Simpson Harding (Ohio) source
- 1894: Assistant to Congressman Paul Sorg (Washington, D.C.) source
- 1900: Takes over the Dayton Evening News (Dayton, OH) source
- 1905: Acquires Springfield paper (Springfield Daily News) (Springfield, OH) source
- 1908: Elected to U.S. House (to 1913) (Ohio) source
- 1913: First term as governor (Columbus, OH) source
- 1920: Democratic presidential nominee; loses to Harding (San Francisco, CA) source
- 1939: Buys Atlanta papers (Atlanta, GA) source
- 1957-07-15: Dies at Trailsend, Kettering (Kettering, OH) source
What James is known for
- U.S. House 1909-1913
- Governor 1913-1915 and 1917-1921
- 1920 Democratic presidential nominee
- Journey through My Years (memoir, 1946)
- Dayton Evening News and Springfield Daily News
Honors and things named for them
- James M. Cox Dayton International Airport
- Cox Fine Arts Building, Ohio State Fair
- Cox Enterprises grew from his newspapers
Family
- father: Gilbert Cox
- wife: Mayme Simpson Harding
- wife: Margaretta Parker Blair
- daughter: Anne Cox Chambers
- daughter: Barbara Cox Anthony
Places in Ohio to see
- Woodland Cemetery and Arboretum (burial) (grave)
118 Woodland Ave, Dayton, Montgomery County ZIP 45409 · Dayton · Montgomery County - James M. Cox Dayton International Airport (park)
3600 Terminal Dr, Vandalia, Montgomery County ZIP 45377 · Vandalia · Montgomery County · official page
Ohio places
Where James M. Cox was born, lived, worked and is remembered, with the ZIP code, town and county pages for each.
- Born: Jacksonburg, Butler County ZIP 45044 (approximate) · Butler County
- Lived: Dayton, Montgomery County ZIP 45402 · Dayton · Montgomery County
- Buried: Dayton, Montgomery County (Woodland Cemetery and Arboretum, 118 Woodland Ave) ZIP 45409 · Dayton · Montgomery County
Further reading
Sources
Confidence. Medium: the main facts were confirmed, but some details (often an address or ZIP code) were not.
- Wikipedia: James M. Cox birth, death, Trailsend, burial, offices (Wikipedia, opened; pointer-level source)
