Los Angeles County CA Archives Biographies.....MacDonald, J. Wiseman January 17, 1866 - 
************************************************
Copyright.  All rights reserved.
http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
http://www.usgwarchives.net/ca/cafiles.htm
************************************************

File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Ila L. Wakley iwakley@msn.com July 11, 2010, 1:12 pm

Source: California and Californians, Vol. IV, Published 1932, Pages 54 - 55
Author: The Lewis Publishing Company

     J. WISEMAN MACDONALD, distinguished by over thirty years of practice as 
an attorney at the Los Angeles bar, has at the same time assumed many 
responsibilities in the civic and religious life of his community.

     Mr. Macdonald, of Scotch and English ancestry, was born at Mazomanic, 
Wisconsin, January 17, 1866, son of Allan and Eleanor (Wiseman) Macdonald. His 
ancestors allied themselves with the Stuart cause and many gave active service 
during the Jacobite wars between 1715 and 1745, with corresponding material 
disadvantage to themselves.

     Allan Macdonald, who was born in Scotland in 1827, came to the United 
States in 1854, locating in Wisconsin, where he acquired extensive tracts of 
land. He engaged in farming on a large scale. Leaving his home and property in 
1861, he went to the war as a first lieutenant in the Seventh Wisconsin 
Infantry, participating in many battles and campaigns, rendering such arduous 
services as to shorten his life. He died March 8, 1869. After his death, his 
widow and her children returned to England.

     James Wiseman Macdonald was very young when his mother went to England 
and he received his educational advantages there. He attended the Grant 
School, conducted by W. M. Grant at Burnley, Lancashire, and received other 
liberal advantages. After the death of his mother, he came to California, and 
has lived in Los Angeles since 1891. Mr. Macdonald in 1892 was admitted to the 
bar, and since that time has been an able lawyer, with a large general 
practice. For a time he was lecturer on corporations in the law school of the 
University of Southern California and served two terms as trustee of the Los 
Angeles Bar Association. He has been president of the Los Angeles Civil 
Service Commission, is a member of the California Club, Newman Club, the 
Knights of Columbus and other organizations.

     In the spring of 1924 Mr. Macdonald was one of the two prominent men of 
Los Angeles specially honored by Pope Pius in recognition of their devotion to 
religion and humanity. Mr. Macdonald was awarded the Order of Pius, being the 
first Californian so decorated and as far as known is the only Catholic in the 
United States to hold that order.

     Mr. Macdonald married at San Francisco, June 23, 1902, Miss Jane Boland. 
The three children of their marriage were: Allan, horn in 1905; Eleanor 
Wiseman, born in 1906; and J. Wiseman, Jr., born in 1909. The mother of these 
children passed away February 4, 1919.

File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ca/losangeles/bios/macdonal1021gbs.txt

This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/cafiles/

File size: 3.1 Kb