William S. James

William Smith James (February 14, 1914 – April 17, 1993) was a Maryland state politician. James was first elected to office as a member of the Maryland House of Delegates representing Harford County in 1946, and after serving two terms was elected to the Maryland Senate in 1954. He served in the Senate for a further two decades, from 1963 onwards as President of the Maryland Senate. Following his retirement from the state Senate in 1974, James was appointed State Treasurer, a position he held from 1975 through 1987. His daughter, Mary-Dulany James, was a member of the Maryland House of Delegates representing District 34A in Cecil and Harford Counties from 1999 until 2015.

Early life William Smith James was born the son of E. Roy James, a road builder and dairy farmer, and Mary S. James in Aberdeen, Maryland, on February 14, 1914. He earned his bachelor's degree from the University of Delaware and, in 1937, a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Maryland School of Law, entering the Maryland Bar the same year. He was elected in 1954 to represent Harford County in the Maryland Senate. William S. James Elementary School in Harford County and the William S. James Senate Office Building in Annapolis were named in his honor even before his death. His contemporaries called him "Bill" and "Billy".

James died on April 17, 1993, at the Lorien-Riverside Nursing Home in Aberdeen. He was remembered by commentators for his dedication to public service and his civility.