JAMES EDWARD WADHAM

Los Angeles County

Biographies

JAMES EDWARD WADHAM

WADHAM, JAMES EDWARD, Mayor of the City of San Diego and Attorney-at-Law, San Diego, California, was born in Macomb, Illinois, December 20, 1864, the son of James Franklin Wadham and Martha King (Ware) Wadham. He married Nellie May George (by adoption Nellie May Lockwood) at San Diego, August 6, 1895, and to them there have been born six children, Martha Lockwood, Helen, Dorothy, Amy, James Edward, Jr., and George Wadham. Mayor Wadham is descended of a noted English family, one of his great-grandfathers, Nicholas Wadham, having been the founder of Wadham College of Oxford. The college was completed and endowed by the founder’s widow.

His family having moved to San Diego when he was five years of age, Mayor Wadham has lived there ever since, and is in the class of men who, by their own efforts, have risen from newsboy to notable. He attended the grammar and high schools of San Diego until the early eighties and later in life read law under Major Levi Chase, one of the celebrated lawyers of Southern California. He was admitted to the Bar of California in December, 1886.

Mayor Wadham began practice before the end of the year 1886 and continued, with more or less success, until the Summer of 1887, when he left his work temporarily and went to Harvard Law School, where he took a special course. He then returned to San Diego and resumed practice. For the next six years Mayor Wadham practiced alone, except for brief affiliations with other attorneys, and in 1897 he formed the firm of Wadham & Stearns, his associate being Frederick W. Stearns. They remained together until 1899, when Mayor Wadham surrendered his entire practice to Mr. Stearns and, in order to regain his health, retired to devote his time to the management of an extensive ranch of which he was the owner.

Mayor Wadham re-entered the legal profession in 1902 and for more than a decade has been one of the most active practitioners at the bar of San Diego. He has been at all times among the leaders of the profession and appeared in numerous important cases, among them several in which Mrs. Katherine Tingley, “The Purple Mother” of the Theosophical Brotherhood, was involved. As the associate of Judge J. W. McKinley, he aided in winning a victory for Mrs. Tingley in a noted suit for libel, and in 1911 appeared with Judge McKinley as counsel for the heirs of Harriet W. Patterson (deceased), who sued successfully to break the will which gave to Mrs. Tingley the residuum of an estate amounting to $300,000. This latter was one of the most celebrated cases in the annals of California jurisprudence and the longest jury trial on record in San Diego County, having continued for eighty days.

In January, 1912, Mayor Wadham took into partnership T. B. Cosgrove, one of the capable young attorneys of Southern California, and the partnership continues under the name of Wadham & Cosgrove.

Mayor Wadham has been a factor in the politics of San Diego for many years, at all times a firm supporter of the Democratic party and its candidates. When he was twenty-nine years of age he was a candidate for State Senator and, although he lost, it was only by 193 votes, he having cut the Republican majority from its normal figure, 1500. He was twice a candidate for Mayor of San Diego, being defeated the first time, but victorious on his second attempt. He was elected in 1911 for a term of two years by a majority of 500 and is the second Mayor to hold office under the commission form of government, under which San Diego operates.

During his tenure of office Mayor Wadham has proposed numerous measures for the improvement of the city. One of the important measures that he urged was the purchase of a water supply for the city, which, when ratified by the electors, will involve an issue of $4,000,000 bonds and give to San Diego one of the best water supply systems in the country. Mayor Wadham has championed this project from the time he entered office and to his efforts will be largely due, when it comes to pass, the establishment of the municipal ownership of the water supply.

Aside from his public and legal duties, Mayor Wadham is an enthusiastic motorist and good roads advocate and a prominent member of the Masonic fraternity. He has attained the Thirty-second Degree of the order and also belongs to the Knights Templar and the Mystic Shrine.

Transcribed 6-28-08 Marilyn R. Pankey.

Source: Press Reference Library, Western Edition Notables of the West, Vol. I, Page 87, International News Service, New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Boston, Atlanta. 1913.

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