James W. Covert
James Way Covert (September 2, 1842 – May 16, 1910) was an American lawyer and Democratic politician from New York. Born in Oyster Bay, he studied locally and became a lawyer in 1863, beginning practice in Flushing. He held several local offices, including district school commissioner (1867–1870), assistant prosecuting attorney of Queens County, and Surrogate of Queens County (1870–1874).
Covert served five terms in the U.S. House of Representatives. He represented New York’s 1st district from March 4, 1877, to March 3, 1881, and again from March 4, 1889, to March 3, 1895. During the 46th Congress he was chairman of the House Committee on Agriculture, and during the 53rd Congress he served as chairman of the House Committee on Patents. He also served in the New York State Senate for the 1st district in 1882–1883.
After leaving Congress, he moved to Brooklyn in 1896 and resumed his law practice. He died in Brooklyn on May 16, 1910, and was buried in Mount Olivet Cemetery in Maspeth.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 23:57 (CET).