James A. Merriman

James Anthony Merriman (October 10, 1869 – December 14, 1946) was an American physician and newspaper publisher. Merriman was the first African American physician to practice medicine in Portland, and perhaps the first in the state of Oregon; he was recruited to care for Black workers of the Union Pacific Railroad in 1903. He was a cofounder of Portland's second Black newspaper, The Advocate, and edited The Portland Times from 1913 until 1926. Merriman was also active in civil rights and community leadership, serving as the first president of the Portland chapter of the NAACP.

Early life and education

J. A. Merriman was born October 10, 1869, in Camden, Alabama.