James B. Champion. This able and representative member of the bar of Carter County is engaged in the successful practice of his profession at Ardmore, the county seat, and as a practitioner he has been closely associated, here and elsewhere, with his twin brother. Judge Thomas W. Champion, who is now presiding on the bench of the County Court of Carter County. On other pages of this work appears a brief review of the career of Judge Champion, with due incidental data concerning the family history, and so close has been the fraternal and professional alliance of the twin brothers that the two articles presented in this volume effectually supplement each other and may well be read consecutively.

Joseph B. Champion was born near Salem, Livingston County, Kentucky, on the 21st of July, 1879, and after duly profiting by the advantages afforded in the public schools of his native county he entered Hampton Academy, at Hampton, Kentucky, in which he was graduated in 1900, with the degree of Bachelor of Science. Thereafter he passed a scholastic year as a student in the University of Kentucky, at Lexington, and in 1902 he was graduated in the law department of Vanderbilt University, in the City of Nashville, Tennessee. After thus receiving his degree of Bachelor of Laws he engaged in the practice of his profession at Marion, Kentucky, where he was associated with the law firm of James & Eames until 1904, and thereafter he and his twin brother there maintained a professional alliance and substantial law business until 1908, in February of which year he established his residence at Ardmore, Oklahoma Territory, where he formed a law partnership with Hon. Stillwell H. Russell, who was a member of the Supreme Court of Oklahoma at the time of his death. In 1909 Mr. Champion was hero joined by his twin brother, Judge Champion, and they resumed their professional association under the firm name of Champion & Champion, which still obtains, though Judge Champion now finds the major part of his time and attention demanded by his service on the bench of the County Court, the subject of this sketch continuing in control of the large and representative law practice of the firm and maintaining his. office headquarters in the State National Bank Building.

Mr. Champion is an effective and unswerving advocate of the principles and policies of the democratic party, and represented Carter County in the Oklahoma Legislature in 1910-11. He was a member of the democratic central committee from 1907, the year when Oklahoma was admitted to statehood, until 1915, and for several years past he has been president of the Ardmore Democratic Club. He is affiliated with Ardmore Lodge .No. 648, Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks.

In 1915 Mr. Champion wedded Miss Ethel Lawson, daughter of the late William W. Lawson, a representative cattleman of Carter County at the time of his death.