Richard James

Richard James (February 8, 1926 – July 17, 2013) was a native of Oklahoma and an American politician and lawyer. He was the long-time city attorney for Stroud, Oklahoma. He was described as, "...the longest serving public servant in the state of Oklahoma." He served two terms in the Oklahoma House of Representatives. Early life Born near Prague, Oklahoma, to Fred James and Lena Bierman, Fred grew up on a farm during the Great Depression. He graduated from Prague high school in 1943, and served in the United States Navy during World War II. The Navy sent him to Tulane University under its V-12 Program, as an Able Seaman, then to Officer Candidate School. He returned to Tulane, where he received his degree in mathematics and was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa in 1945. He then enrolled in the University of Oklahoma Law School, where he served as editor of the OU Law Review. He received his law degree from OU in 1949. Career in Law Immediately after graduating from law school, he opened a law practice in Stroud, Oklahoma. Richard James practiced law in Stroud continuously for the next 64 years. One of his first clients was the City of Stroud, which he served for 56 years on retainer as City Attorney. One colleague described him as being "...focused and unyielding in his opinions and determined to do the right thing...(but) caring, compassionate and generous." However, he could clearly antagonize some people who disagreed with him. In 1992, a bomb exploded in the back of his car while he was driving from his home in Stroud to a client meeting in Prague. The car was still drivable, so he went on to the meeting. A few days later the police found a similar, but unexploded, bomb in the back seat of his law partner's car. The police never found who was responsible for the bombs.