James K. Vardaman, Jr.

James Kimble Vardaman Jr. (1894–1972) was an American lawyer who served as a member of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors from 1946 to 1958 . He was a US Navy captain during World War II, and political aide to President Harry S. Truman. Before the war, he had worked as bank counselor in Missouri.

Early life James Kimble Vardaman Jr. was born in 1894 in Greenwood, Mississippi. His father, James K. Vardaman, was later Governor of Mississippi and a United States Senator.

In that role, Vardaman attended the Potsdam Conference from July to August 1945. He continued to assist Truman after the war.

Vardaman chose Clark Clifford as his assistant, who would soon bypass him and be appointed as Truman's special counsel in 1946. According to Truman's daughter Margaret Truman, the President thought that Vardaman had an "acute case of Potomac fever," which did not align with his own feelings.

Vardaman gained an appointment as a Governor of the Federal Reserve, serving from 1946 to 1958. During his tenure, he was "a proponent of price and wage controls." Shortly after, he worked in the financial sector in Albany, Georgia.

Honors For his World War II service in the Navy, Vardaman received the Legion of Merit and the Silver Star.

Death He died in 1972.