James H. McCord

James Hamilton McCord was born at Savannah, Missouri, November 2, 1857, the son of James and Mary Hallack McCord. He grew up in St. Joseph, attending the elementary schools and high school. He then attended Virginia Military Institute, scoring the highest grades in all of his four years, and graduating with distinction in 1879, the recipient of the Stonewall Jackson medal. In September of that year he was employed by the Nave, McCord Mercantile Company, and gradually held all the official posts in the company: secretary, treasurer, and vice-president. After the death of his father in 1903 he was elected president, and presided over the numerous wholesale establishments of the Company in Omaha, Denver, Fort Worth, Hutchinson, Topeka, and Emporia, Kansas. He also became president of the Burnes National Bank.

Mr. McCord was for many years active in the Missouri National Guard, becoming colonel and inspector general of the Guard. When the draft law was passed in 1917 he was appointed executive draft officer for Missouri. For these services both houses of the Missouri General Assembly passed a resolution thanking him for his faithful and successful performance of these arduous duties without compensation. Mr. McCord came by his military interests by his heritage he was a member of the Society of the Cincinnati.

Mr. McCord was a member of the board of the Public Library for a number of years and served as its president. He was police commissioner of St. Joseph 1904-1908.

In 1893 he married Miss Adele Calhoun Parker of Atchison, Kansas. They had one son, James Hamilton McCord, Jr.

Mr. McCord suffered an accidental death on September 8, 1922, and was given a military funeral. His pall bearers were Dr. Daniel Morton, John D. Richardson, Charles.J. Schenecker, W. W. Wheeler, John I. McDonald, John A. Dolman, Eugene M. Sweeney, George A. Nelson, Huston Wyeth, and Judge O. M. Spencer.