James Albert Gary

James Albert Gary was born on October 22, 1833, in Uncasville, Connecticut, to Pamelia (née Forrest) and James Sullivan Gary. His father was a well-known manufacturer.{{Cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/menofmarkinmaryl02stei/page/134/mode/2up |title=Men of Mark in Maryland |year=1910 |last=Meekins |first=Lynn R. |pages=134–137 |via=Archive.org |access-date=2023-04-02}}

In 1861, Gary joined his father under the firm James S. Gary & Son. After the death of his father in 1870, Gary took over the ownership of his father's company.

In 1858, Gary was nominated for the Maryland Senate under the Republican ticket, but lost. In 1861, he was a delegate to the Union convention held at the Maryland Institute. He was a delegate to the 1872 and the 1876 Republican National Conventions. He would attend the following national conventions until 1896. In 1872, Gary ran for U.S. Congress, but was defeated.{{Cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/122120715/james-a-gary-dies-at-his-home-in-city/ |title=James A. Gary Dies At His Home in City |date=1920-11-01 |newspaper=The Baltimore Sun |page=9 |via=Newspapers.com |access-date=2023-04-02}}{{Open access}}

Gary ran as the Republican candidate for Maryland Governor in the 1879 election, losing to William Thomas Hamilton.{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/66966754/maryland-colored-voters-shot-down/ |newspaper=The New York Times |date=5 November 1879 |title=Maryland-Colored voters shot down and driven away from the polls |location=Baltimore |page=5 |access-date=2021-01-05 |via=Newspapers.com}} He served as the Postmaster General from March 5, 1897, to his resignation due to illness on April 21, 1898.{{cite web|title=James Albert Gary Biography|url=http://bio19c.com/-biography341_james_albert_gary_(1833-)|work=Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans 1904|access-date=2013-05-09|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131022103424/http://bio19c.com/-biography341_james_albert_gary_(1833-)|archive-date=2013-10-22|url-status=dead}}

He spent much of his working life in textile manufacture in the Baltimore, Maryland, region, and was involved with cotton mills along the Patapsco and Patuxent Rivers, including Ely, Guilford, and Laurel, Maryland.{{citation needed |date=March 2023}}

Gary served as president of the Merchants and Manufacturers' Association. He was also president of the Citizens' National Bank. Gary was vice president of the Consolidated Gas Company. He was director of the Savings Bank of Baltimore, Baltimore Warehouse Company, American Fire Insurance Company, Merchants and Manufacturers' Insurance Company and the Baltimore Trust and Guaranty Company.

File:Mrs James Albert Gary.jpg

Gary married Lavinia W. Corrie in 1856. They had ten children, including E. Stanley, Mrs. Robert C. Taylor, Mrs. Henry Pratt Janes, Mrs. Harold Randolph, Mrs. Eugene Levering Jr., Mrs. Francis E. Pegram, Mrs. Van Lear Black and Mrs. Andrew H. Whitridge. Only eight of his children survived to adulthood.{{Cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/122120538/james-a-gary-dies-at-home-ill-long/ |title=James A. Gary Dies At Home; Ill Long Time |date=1920-11-01 |newspaper=The Baltimore Sun |page=18 |via=Newspapers.com |access-date=2023-04-02}}{{Open access}}

Gary was a prominent member of Baltimore's prestigious Brown Memorial Presbyterian Church and led the movement to establish Babcock Memorial Church there in memory of Brown Memorial's minister, Maltbie Babcock.{{cite news|title=In memory of Dr. Babcock|date=May 24, 1901|newspaper=The New York Times|url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1901/05/24/117965048.pdf|access-date=December 6, 2008 }} He also contributed to the construction of a church in Daniels, MD, which was later named in his honor: Gary Memorial United Methodist Church.Gary Memorial United Methodist Church; {{cite web |url=http://gmuc.org/history.asp |title=Gmuc.org - History |access-date=2010-05-25 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081121034722/http://gmuc.org/history.asp |archive-date=2008-11-21 }}

Gary had a home in the Mount Vernon section of Baltimore and a summer place in Catonsville.{{citation needed |date=March 2023}}

Gary died on October 31, 1920, at his home at Linden Avenue and Dolphin Street in Baltimore. He was buried at Loudon Park Cemetery in Baltimore.{{Cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/122120898/james-a-gary-funeral-marked-by/ |title=James A. Gary Funeral Marked By Simplicity |date=1920-11-03 |newspaper=The Baltimore Sun |page=9 |via=Newspapers.com |access-date=2023-04-02}}{{Open access}}

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Category:1833 births

Category:1920 deaths

Category:People from Montville, Connecticut

Category:People from Laurel, Maryland

Category:United States postmasters general

Category:McKinley administration cabinet members

Category:19th-century American politicians

Category:Maryland Republicans

Category:Presbyterians from Maryland

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