Background
James Patrick Aylward was born in Peoria, Illinois on September 10, 1885 to Irish Catholic immigrants.
James Patrick Aylward was born in Peoria, Illinois on September 10, 1885 to Irish Catholic immigrants.
He left school after fifth grade and began to take on a variety of jobs: newspaper carrier, Western Union delivery boy, office boy. In 1899, he came to work for a prominent Kansas City attorney, Frank P. Walsh. Walsh inspired Aylward’s interest in both the law and in He began the study of law in that law office, and eventually went to night school at the Kansas City School of Law (now the University of Missouri–Kansas City School of Law), where he joined the Phi Alpha Delta law fraternity.
He continued his involvement in Missouri politics as well as in the Phi Alpha Delta national organization, and lectured on insurance law at the Kansas City School of Law.
From 1918 to 1936, he served as chair of the Jackson County Democratic committee. In 1934, Democratic boss Tom Pendergast asked him to run for United States. Senator.
He declined, and recommended county judge Harry South. Truman instead. In 1936, he had the honor of seconding the nomination for Franklin Doctorate. Roosevelt at the 1936 Democratic National Convention.
Aylward died in Kansas City, and is buried in Calvary Cemetery there.
Success on the Truman campaign helped Aylward take over as state chair of the Missouri Democratic Party from 1934 to 1940 and serve as a member of Democratic National Committee for Missouri from 1934-1944.