James M. Tunnell

James Miller Tunnell ( born August 2, 1879 in Clarksville, Sussex County, Delaware, † November 14, 1957 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania ) was an American politician (Democratic Party), who represented the state of Delaware in the U.S. Senate.

James Tunnell was born in the small town of Clarksville near Millville. He attended the common schools and then the Franklin College in Ohio, where in 1900 he received his degree. He subsequently worked as a teacher and was superintendent of schools in Frankford, Selbyville and Ocean View. During this time he also studied law, after which he was admitted to the bar in 1907 and commenced practice in Georgetown as a lawyer.

From 1919 to 1932 Tunnell stood before the Board of Education of the city of Georgetown. In addition, he worked in the banking industry and operated a number of farms in Sussex County. In 1924 he wrote his first application for a seat in the U.S. Senate, but he came only to 41 percent of the vote and defeated so clearly the Republican T. Coleman du Pont.

1940 Tunnell joined again for the Senate election on which he met the Republican incumbent John G. Townsend. He prevailed with 51 percent of the vote, after which he held his seat in Congress from January 3, 1941. As a member of the Democratic majority group he was then, among other things the Pension Committee. In 1946 he ran for re-election, but this time he came across a share of 45 percent of the vote not out and consequently lost to Republican John J. Williams, who replaced him on 3 January 1947 as a senator.

Tunnell retired after from politics and died in 1957 in Philadelphia.