James R. Young was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He enlisted in the Union Army in June 1863 in the Thirty-second Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry. He was one of the founders of the "Philadelphia Evening Star" in 1866. He attended all of the Republican National Conventions from 1864 through 1908. He served as chief of the Washington bureau of the "New York Tribune" from June 1866 to December 1870. He was chief executive clerk of the United States Senate from December 1873 to March 1879 and again from December 1883 to April 1892. In between he was Chief Clerk of the Department of Justice from September 1882 to December 1883.