Davidson-Smith County TN Archives Biographies.....Beasley, James S. 1848 - 
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Joy Fisher sdgenweb@gmail.com October 26, 2005, 2:59 pm

Author: Will T. Hale

   JAMES S. BEASLEY. Engaged in the practice of his profession in the city of

Nashville, Mr. Beasley is one of the representative members of the bar of his

native state and is serving as a valued member and chairman of the state board

of prison commissioners. He is a scion of old and honored families of Smith

county, Tennessee, both his paternal and maternal ancestors having founded homes

in that section of the state in the early pioneer days and his parents, like

himself, being natives of that county. Mr. Beasley has been an influential

figure in political activities in Tennessee and is a recognized leader in the

ranks of the Republican party in this state. He has high standing in his

profession and is a citizen whose sterling character, loyalty and public spirit

have gained and retained to him the confidence and esteem of those with whom he

has come in contact in the various relations of life.



   James Sherman Beasley was born on the old homestead farm of his father, in

Smith county, and the date of his nativity was August 14, 1873. He is a son of

Jesse and Nancy (Dickerson) Beasley, both of whom were born and reared in that

county, where they still reside and where the father has been identified with

the great basic industry of agriculture during his entire active career. He is

one of the honored and influential citizens of his county and represented his

native state as a valiant soldier of the Union in the Civil war, his political

allegiance being given unreservedly to .the Republican party. After duly

availing himself of the advantages of the public schools James S. Beasley

completed a scientific course in the Monroe Normal School, at Tompkinsville.

Kentucky, and in preparation for the work of his chosen profession he entered

the law department of the Southern Normal University, at Huntingdon, Tennessee,

in which he was graduated as a member of the class of 1898 and from which he

received his degree of Bachelor of Laws. Prior to this he had devoted ten years

to teaching in the public schools of his native state, and he has proved most

successful and popular in his work in the pedogogic profession.



   Upon his admission to the bar Mr. Beasley engaged in the practice of his

profession at Centerville, the judicial center of Hickman county. where he built

up a substantial and representative practice, in which he was associated with W.

A. Knight, this alliance being still continued and the third member of the firm

of McCarn, Knight & Beasley, being Jeff McCarn. This is one of the leading

concerns of the Nashville bar and Messrs. Knight and Beasley have been residents

of Nashville since 1911. In addition to following his profession at Centerville

Mr. Beasley served eleven years as postmaster of that place. In 1908 he was-the

Republican candidate for congress, from the Seventh congressional district, and

though he made an excellent showing at the polls, after a brilliant canvass of

the district, he was unable to overcome the large and normal Democratic majority

and was defeated by Hon. L. P. Padget, a specially strong opponent. Mr. Beasley

has been a most zealous and effective worker in behalf of the cause of the

Republican party and has been an able exponent of its principles and policies,

as well as a resourceful factor in the maneuvering of its forces in various,

campaigns in his home state. He is at the present time chairman of the

Republican congressional committee of the Seventh congressional district, and is

at present chairman of the Republican state executive committee, having

conducted the gubernatorial campaign of Gov. Ben W. Hooper in the year 1912. On

the 7th of July, 1911, he was appointed, by Governor Hooper, a member of the

state board of prison commissioners, and his confreres in this body gave prompt

evidence of their esteem and appreciation by electing him chairman of the body.

He is punctilious in his discharge of the duties of this important office, in

which he is doing all in his power to bring the penal institutions of the state

up to the highest possible standard of efficiency. He is affiliated with the

Independent Order of Odd Fellows and both he and his wife are members of the

Methodist Episcopal church, South.



   In the year 1898 was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Beasley to Miss Minnie

Elizabeth Edwards, daughter of B. W. Edwards, a representative citizen of

Centerville, this state, and the one child of this union is a winsome little

daughter, Elizabeth Edwards Beasley.



Additional Comments:
From:



A history of Tennessee and Tennesseans : the leaders and representative men in

commerce, industry and modern activities

by Will T. Hale

Chicago:  Lewis Pub. Co.,  1913



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