James A. Haley

Who was James A. Haley?

James Andrew Haley was a U.S. Representative from Florida.

Born in Jacksonville, Alabama, Haley attended the public schools and the University of Alabama. During World War I, Haley enlisted in Troop A, Second Cavalry, in April 1917 and served overseas. He was an accountant in Sarasota, Florida, from 1920 to 1933. He served as general manager of John Ringling estate 1933–1943.

From 1943 to 1945, he was the first vice president of Ringling Circus and president and director of Ringling Brothers, Barnum & Bailey. In 1944, a fire broke out at a Ringling Circus show in Hartford, Connecticut that killed 169 persons. As a result of the fire he and five other circus officials pleaded no contest to charges of involuntary manslaughter and were sentenced to prison. He served eight months and in 1945 was returned to Florida, where he received a pardon from Governor Millard F. Caldwell.

Haley worked for the Bailey Circus of Sarasota from 1946 to 1948. He engaged in newspaper publishing and later in general printing business. He served as chairman of the Democratic executive committee of Sarasota County 1935–1952. He served as member of the Florida House of Representatives from 1949 to 1952.