James Wesley Bryan

James Wesley Bryan (March 11, 1874 – August 26, 1956) was a U.S. Representative from Washington state and a prominent attorney and public official in Bremerton, Washington. A member of the Progressive Party, he served one term in Congress, representing Washington during a significant period in American political and social reform.

Bryan was born on March 11, 1874, in Lake Charles, Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana, to James W. Bryan Sr. His father, a captain in the Confederate Army during the Civil War, later became mayor of Lake Charles and served as a member of the Louisiana state legislature, providing an early example of public service that would influence Bryan’s own career. He attended public schools in Lake Charles and pursued further studies at Lake Charles College. Seeking higher education, he enrolled at Baylor University in Texas, from which he graduated in 1895.

Following his graduation from Baylor, Bryan entered Yale Law School to study law. His legal education there was cut short by the death of his father, which compelled him to return to Louisiana. He continued his legal studies in a law office in Lake Charles and was admitted to the bar—sources differ on whether this occurred in 1898 or 1900. Around this time, during the Spanish–American War, he volunteered for military service but was rejected on account of impaired eyesight, an early indication of his willingness to serve that was thwarted by health limitations.

After admission to the bar, Bryan began practicing law in Lake Charles. In 1904 or 1905 he moved to Bremerton, Washington, where he established himself as a lawyer and quickly became active in local civic affairs. He served as Bremerton city attorney in 1907, 1908, and again in 1911. In that role he successfully campaigned for municipal ownership of the city’s water supply system and its waterfront dock, reflecting his broader Progressive-era commitment to public control of essential services. He also became affiliated with several law partnerships, including Bryan & Ingle, Bryan & Best, and Bryan & Garland, before eventually selling his law practice. At the state level, he was elected to the Washington State Senate, serving from 1908 to 1912 and helping to shape policy during a period of expanding governmental reform and regulation.

Bryan’s state-level prominence led to his election to the U.S. House of Representatives. He was elected as a Progressive to the Sixty-third Congress and served from March 4, 1913, to March 3, 1915. He was the first to represent Washington’s at-large congressional district, created during a time of population growth and political realignment in the state. During his single term in Congress, he contributed to the legislative process at a time of significant national debate over economic regulation and public ownership. Reflecting his Progressive convictions, he introduced a bill advocating government ownership of railroads, although the measure was ultimately defeated. In 1914 he sought renomination, this time for the newly created 1st congressional district seat in the Sixty-fourth Congress, but was unsuccessful. During that campaign he brought suit against his opponent, Clarance B. Blethen, and Blethen’s newspaper, The Seattle Times, over their characterization of him in cartoons and editorials; the case was settled out of court.

After leaving Congress, Bryan remained active in public life and the press. From 1915 to 1917 he owned and published the weekly newspaper The Navy Yard American, which served the Bremerton community and the nearby naval installation. He then resumed the practice of law in Bremerton. From 1926 to 1930 he served as prosecuting attorney of Kitsap County, where he became known for his strong opposition to liquor and gambling and engaged in a notable feud with the county sheriff, John Stanioch. To promote his views and reform agenda, he published leaflets titled The Broad Axe. In the 1920s he purchased a home on Washington Avenue in Bremerton, further establishing his long-term roots in the community.

Bryan continued to hold important local offices in the 1930s and later. From 1933 to 1936 he served as president of the Bremerton Port Commission, overseeing matters related to the city’s waterfront and maritime commerce. He later became chairman of the Kitsap County Public Utility District, where he argued against the purchase of private power facilities by public utility districts, reflecting his evolving views on public versus private ownership in the utilities sector. After World War II he sold his share of his law partnership to James Arthur following Arthur’s return from military service. In 1950 he returned to practice law in partnership with his son, James W. Bryan Jr., and he continued to practice law in Bremerton until his death.

In his personal life, Bryan married Lorena Kearse of San Angelo, Texas, on March 26, 1899. The couple had three children: a son, James W. Jr., and two daughters, Billie and Merlaine. Bryan was active in religious and civic organizations; he was a member of the First Methodist Church in Bremerton, the Fraternal Order of Eagles, and Kiwanis. He maintained friendships with prominent political figures, including U.S. Senator Homer Bone of Washington, which reflected his continued engagement with state and national politics even after his congressional service.

James Wesley Bryan died on August 26, 1956, at Swedish Hospital in Seattle, Washington. He was cremated and interred in Forest Lawn Cemetery. His career spanned law, journalism, local and state office, and a term in the U.S. House of Representatives, during which he participated in the democratic process and represented the interests of his Washington constituents during a transformative era in American public life.