page_title: James A. Wetmore
section_title: Background
hierarchical_section_title: James A. Wetmore / Background
caption_attribution_description: English: Cornerstone of the United States Post Office and Courthouse, Goodwin St, Prescott, Arizona
context_page_description: James Alfonso Wetmore was an American lawyer and administrator, best known as the Acting Supervising Architect of the U.S. Office of the Supervising Architect of the Treasury Department from 1915 through 1933.
  Wetmore is frequently and incorrectly described as the "architect" of the many federal buildings that bear his name. He was a long-time civil servant in the Treasury Department, and was not a professional architect. As Supervising Architect, he managed a staff of nearly 1700 architects and draftsmen who designed at least 2000 federal government buildings, including courthouses and post offices.
context_section_description: Wetmore was born in Bath, New York to Justus Ford and Cornelia (Brownell) Wetmore and grew up in Hornell. He completed high school, worked in the Netherlands and Scotland, and then as a court stenographer at the Department of the Interior from 1885. He transferred to the Treasury Department in 1893. Wetmore took night classes at George Washington University Law School, earning a degree in 1896, when his position was Assistant Chief Clerk. In November 1896, he was promoted to Head of the Law and Records Division of the Office of the Supervising Architect, within the Treasury Department in Washington, DC by President Grover Cleveland. He replaced Judge Fleming, who was removed due to his involvement in the free silver movement. Wetmore held that position until 1911. In June 1907, he was appointed by President Theodore Roosevelt, along with four other officials,  to a special committee to "fully investigate and examine into the forms of contracts used by the various departments, bureaus and offices of the government."
caption: Cornerstone of a Courthouse and Post Office showing Wetmore's name (Prescott, Arizona)
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