James Pinckney Pope

James Pinckney Pope, the eldest of the thirteen children of Jesse T. and Lou (McBride) Pope, was born on a farm near Jonesboro, Jackson Parish, Louisiana on March 31, 1884. He was raised on his father's cotton plantation and later claimed he was the champion cotton picker of Jackson Parish. He received his early education in the public schools of his native parish. He then attended Louisiana Polytechnic Institute in Ruston where he distinguished himself in both scholarship and athletics. He was tackle on the football team for three years, and also served as captain of the team his last year. In 1906, after four years of study, he graduated with a Bachelor of Industry degree. He continued his education at the law school of the University of Chicago where he was prominent in inter-collegiate oratorical contests, and was a member of the university's debating team during the 1907-1908 school year. In 1909 he was graduated with a Bachelor of Laws degree.

Following his graduation from law school he took what little money he had been able to save, boarded a cattle boat bound for Europe, and bicycled through England, Scotland, and Wales. He returned to the U.S. without any money, worked at odd jobs until he had saved enough to finance a trip west, and in October 1909 was forced to stop in Boise, Idaho when his money again ran out. He joined the law firm of Morrison and Pence as a clerk, passed his bar exam in November, and remained with the firm until January 1910 when he entered into a partnership with E.P. Barnes. The partnership was dissolved after three years, and from that time James Pope practiced alone.

...