James H. Duff | |
|---|---|
 Duff,c. 1953 | |
| United States Senator fromPennsylvania | |
| In office January 3, 1951 – January 3, 1957 | |
| Preceded by | Francis J. Myers |
| Succeeded by | Joseph S. Clark |
| 34th Governor of Pennsylvania | |
| In office January 21, 1947 – January 16, 1951 | |
| Lieutenant | Daniel B. Strickler |
| Preceded by | John C. Bell, Jr. |
| Succeeded by | John S. Fine |
| Attorney General of Pennsylvania | |
| In office January 19, 1943 – January 21, 1947 | |
| Governor | Edward Martin John C. Bell, Jr. |
| Preceded by | E. Russell Shockley |
| Succeeded by | T. McKeen Chidsey |
| Personal details | |
| Born | James Henderson Duff (1883-01-21)January 21, 1883 Carnegie, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Died | December 20, 1969(1969-12-20) (aged 86) Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Party | Republican |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 1 son (that died by infancy) |
| Alma mater | Princeton University(AB) University of Pittsburgh(LLB) |
| Profession | Attorney,Politician |
James Henderson Duff (January 21, 1883 – December 20, 1969) was an American lawyer and politician. A member of theRepublican Party, he served asUnited States Senator fromPennsylvania from 1951 to 1957. Previously he had served as the 34thgovernor of Pennsylvania from 1947 to 1951.
James Duff was born in Mansfield (nowCarnegie), a suburb ofPittsburgh, Pennsylvania.[1] The oldest of four children, he was the son of Rev. Joseph Miller and Margaret (née Morgan) Duff.[2] His father was aPresbyterian minister for forty years, and his paternal grandfather was the first college-educated doctor in western Pennsylvania.[3] Two of his great-grandfathers were members of theProvincial Council of Pennsylvania between 1683 and 1717.[4]
After graduating at the top of his class at Carnegie High School, Duff attendedPrinceton University inNew Jersey, where he received aBachelor of Arts degree in 1904.[1] Originally he had intended to study medicine but, after winning two medals in public speaking at Princeton, decided to study law instead.[4] He attended theUniversity of Pennsylvania Law School inPhiladelphia until 1906, when he transferred to theUniversity of Pittsburgh Law School to be closer to home.[2] In 1907, he received his law degree and was admitted to the bar.[1] He married Jean Kerr Taylor in 1909; the couple had only one child who died in infancy, but they raised a nephew after the boy's father died.[3]
Duff practiced law in Pittsburgh for thirty-six years, establishing the law firm of Duff, Scott and Smith.[4] He also served assolicitor of Carnegie, and was an elector forTheodore Roosevelt in the1912 presidential election.[2] In addition to practicing law, Duff was engaged in the oil business for several years. He began by buying an oil driller's rig and taking a lease on some property about five miles from his home, where he struck oil.[5] He subsequently engaged in ventures in other parts of western Pennsylvania as well asMexico.[5] He also served as president of the Criterion Oil Company and of the Westmoreland Natural Gas Company.[2] He lost his fortune in the1929 stock market crash, taking several years to recover financially.[5] He was a delegate to theRepublican National Convention in1932,1936, and1940.[4]
Duff was appointedAttorney General of Pennsylvania byGovernorEdward Martin in 1943, serving in that position until 1947.[1] During his tenure, he worked to strengthen the state's stream pollution law despite facing strong opposition from the coal industry.[5] He also fought against the mining industry after promoting legislation to prevent the discharge of mine silt into theSchuylkill River.[5] The Desilting Act and Clean Streams Act (also known as the Brunner Act) were passed in 1945 under Duff's tenure as Attorney General.[6]
In 1946,John Bell, who had been electedLieutenant Governor in 1942 and had ascended to the governorship following Martin's resignation for the US senate, declined to be a candidate in the upcoming1946 gubernatorial election. Duff subsequently won the Republican nomination, and waselected the 34th Governor of Pennsylvania in the general election.[1] His campaign focused on the issues of conservation, public health, and education.[5] He handily defeated hisDemocratic opponent, formerPresident pro tempore of the State SenateJohn Rice, by more than 557,000 votes.[4]
Duff was elected to theUnited States Senate from Pennsylvania in1950, narrowly unseating Democratic SenatorFrancis J. Myers. After losing the1956 election toDemocratJoe Clark in one of the closest elections in Pennsylvania history, Duff retired from politics, but remained inWashington, D.C., as a partner in the law firm of Davies, Richberg, Tydings, Landa & Duff. He died in Washington, D.C., and was buried in Carnegie, Pennsylvania.
| U.S. Senate | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | U.S. senator (Class 3) from Pennsylvania 1951–1957 Served alongside:Edward Martin | Succeeded by |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Governor of Pennsylvania 1947–1951 | Succeeded by |
| Legal offices | ||
| Preceded by | Attorney General of Pennsylvania 1943–1947 | Succeeded by |
| Party political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Republican nominee forGovernor of Pennsylvania 1946 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Republican nominee forU.S. Senator from Pennsylvania (Class 3) 1950,1956 | Succeeded by |
| Class 1 |  | |
|---|---|---|
| Class 3 | ||
| Notes | † Never officially seated | |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| People | |
| Other | |
