James E. Neal
James E. Neal, ex-speaker of the Ohio House of Representatives, was born in Hamilton, November 21, 1846. He is the son of James A. Neal and M. Giffen. He attended the common schools of Hamilton, and afterward enjoyed a collegiate education. He read law with Robert Christy, in this city, and was admitted to the bar in 1868, immediately beginning practice. As a lawyer, his success has been great. He is now one of the attorneys for the New York, Chicago, and St. Louis Railroad. Soon after being admitted to the bar, he was chosen by the Democracy of this district as their candidate for the Legislature, and was triumphantly elected, serving two years as a member on the floor and two years as speaker ending his term in 1870. He was the youngest speaker the House ever had, and proved an adept in parliamentary rules and usages. He has been lieutenant colonel of the Fourth Regiment, Ohio National Guard. He has achieved an enviable reputation as a lawyer, legislator, and public man. He was married on the 5th of June, 1882, to Miss May B. McKinney, of Hamilton.
From A History and Biographical Cyclopædia of Butler County Ohio, With Illustrations and Sketches of its Representative Men and Pioneers, Western Biographical Publishing Company, Cincinnati Ohio, 1882.