McGranery, James Patrick

(1895-1962)

   Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, James McGranery left school early and worked in the printing business before serving in the army during World War I. After the war, he went to Temple University Law School and graduated in 1928. After practicing law, McGranery, a Democrat, was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1936 and held his seat for Pennsylvania until 1943, when he became assistant U.S. attorney general. In 1946, he was appointed federal judge in the Eastern Division of Pennsylvania. In 1952, McGranery was appointed to succeed J. Howard McGrath as attorney general, and he began the process of reviving the Justice Department before being replaced following the Republican election victory. He practiced law in Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., until his death.