James Harry Covington
Encyclopedia
James Harry Covington, II (May 3, 1870 – February 4, 1942) was an American jurist
and politician. He represented the Maryland's 1st congressional district
in the United States House of Representatives
from 1909 to 1914, and served as chief justice
of the Supreme Court of the District of Columbia from 1914 to 1918.
Covington was born in Easton, Maryland
, and attended the Maryland Military Academy at Oxford. He entered the law department of the University of Pennsylvania
at Philadelphia in 1891, attending at the same time special lectures in history, literature, and economics, and graduated in 1894.
Soon thereafter, Covington began to practice of law in Easton. He was an unsuccessful Democratic nominee for the Maryland State Senate
in 1901, and served as State’s attorney for Talbot County, Maryland
, from 1903 to 1908. He was elected as a Democrat to Congress in 1908 and served the 1st Congressional district of Maryland from March 4, 1909 until his resignation on September 30, 1914, to accept the position of chief justice of the Supreme Court of the District of Columbia.
Covington served as chief justice of that court from October 1, 1914, to June 1, 1918, when he resigned to practice law in Washington, D.C.
. He was a professor of law at Georgetown University
from 1914 to 1919, and was appointed by President Woodrow Wilson
as a member of the United States Railroad Commission in January 1918. He and Edward B. Burling
established the law firm of Covington & Burling
on January 1, 1919. Covington died in Washington, D.C., and is interred in Spring Hill Cemetery of Easton.
Covington served as Worthy Grand Master on the Supreme Executive Committee of the Kappa Sigma
Fraternity from 1892–1894.
Jurist
A jurist or jurisconsult is a professional who studies, develops, applies, or otherwise deals with the law. The term is widely used in American English, but in the United Kingdom and many Commonwealth countries it has only historical and specialist usage...
and politician. He represented the Maryland's 1st congressional district
Maryland's 1st congressional district
Maryland's 1st congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Maryland. The district encompasses the entire Eastern Shore, including Salisbury, as well as parts of Anne Arundel, Baltimore and Harford counties....
in the United States House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
from 1909 to 1914, and served as chief justice
Chief Justice
The Chief Justice in many countries is the name for the presiding member of a Supreme Court in Commonwealth or other countries with an Anglo-Saxon justice system based on English common law, such as the Supreme Court of Canada, the Constitutional Court of South Africa, the Court of Final Appeal of...
of the Supreme Court of the District of Columbia from 1914 to 1918.
Covington was born in Easton, Maryland
Easton, Maryland
Easton, founded 1710, is a town within the Easton District of Talbot County, Maryland, United States. The population was 11,708 at the 2000 census, and 14,677 according to current July 2008 census estimates. It is the county seat of Talbot County. The primary ZIP Code is 21601, and the...
, and attended the Maryland Military Academy at Oxford. He entered the law department of the University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
at Philadelphia in 1891, attending at the same time special lectures in history, literature, and economics, and graduated in 1894.
Soon thereafter, Covington began to practice of law in Easton. He was an unsuccessful Democratic nominee for the Maryland State Senate
Maryland State Senate
The Maryland Senate, sometimes referred to as the Maryland State Senate, is the upper house of the General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Maryland...
in 1901, and served as State’s attorney for Talbot County, Maryland
Talbot County, Maryland
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*81.4% White*12.8% Black*0.2% Native American*1.2% Asian*0.1% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*1.6% Two or more races*2.7% Other races*5.5% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...
, from 1903 to 1908. He was elected as a Democrat to Congress in 1908 and served the 1st Congressional district of Maryland from March 4, 1909 until his resignation on September 30, 1914, to accept the position of chief justice of the Supreme Court of the District of Columbia.
Covington served as chief justice of that court from October 1, 1914, to June 1, 1918, when he resigned to practice law in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
. He was a professor of law at Georgetown University
Georgetown University
Georgetown University is a private, Jesuit, research university whose main campus is in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic university in the United States...
from 1914 to 1919, and was appointed by President Woodrow Wilson
Woodrow Wilson
Thomas Woodrow Wilson was the 28th President of the United States, from 1913 to 1921. A leader of the Progressive Movement, he served as President of Princeton University from 1902 to 1910, and then as the Governor of New Jersey from 1911 to 1913...
as a member of the United States Railroad Commission in January 1918. He and Edward B. Burling
Edward B. Burling
Edward Burnham Burling was a prominent American lawyer and the name partner of the Washington, D.C.-based law firm of Covington & Burling. He grew up in Eldora, Iowa and worked in a grocery store at age eleven, and went on to Grinnell College and then to Harvard Law School...
established the law firm of Covington & Burling
Covington & Burling
Covington & Burling LLP is an international law firm with offices in Beijing, Brussels, London, New York, San Francisco, Silicon Valley, San Diego, and Washington, DC. The firm advises multinational corporations on significant transactional, litigation, regulatory, and public policy matters...
on January 1, 1919. Covington died in Washington, D.C., and is interred in Spring Hill Cemetery of Easton.
Covington served as Worthy Grand Master on the Supreme Executive Committee of the Kappa Sigma
Kappa Sigma
Kappa Sigma , commonly nicknamed Kappa Sig, is an international fraternity with currently 282 active chapters and colonies in North America. Kappa Sigma has initiated more than 240,000 men on college campuses throughout the United States and Canada. Today, the Fraternity has over 175,000 living...
Fraternity from 1892–1894.