HON. JAMES L. SCHAADT was born Dec. 21, 1856, near Ironton, in North Whitehall township. Lehigh county, son of Capt. David Schaadt and Caroline S. Schaadt; attended township schools and Allentown Academy; graduated from Muhlenberg College, June, 1874, with second honor; taught public schools at East Allentown and Rittersville, 1874 and 1875; Deputy Warden of Lehigh county prison, 1876 to 1878; studied law with Thomas B. Metzger, Esquire; admitted to the Courts of Lehigh county. April 10, 1878, to the Supreme Court Jan. 10, 1888, to the Courts of Northampton, Carbon and Bet counties, to the Superior Court of Pennsylvania and the United States Courts; county solicitor for Lehigh county, 1887 to 1891; chairman of Democratic county committee, 1888 and 1890; active member of the Liberty Fire Company; enlisted as private in Company-D, Fourth Regiment Infantry, N. G. P., June 21, 1878; promoted to sergeant; re-enlisted May 10, 1884, in Company B, as private; became company and regimental clerk and corporal; first lieutenant and quartermaster Fourth Regiment, 1888 and 1889, captain of Company B. Fourth Regiment, 1890 to 1896, declining re-election; commanded Company B at the Homestead riots in 1892; district attorney of Lehigh county Jan. 1, 1893 to Jan. 1, 1896; during his term he secured the conviction of Hasty Johnson for murder in the first degree, being the first conviction since the organization of the county; mayor of the city of Allentown April 1899 to April 1902. During his term as mayor, the Soldiers' Monument was erected on Center Square in 1899, the city purchased the Holly Pump; asphalting of the streets was begun in 1900; many storm water sewers built; garbage collection and disposal, street cleaning, police patrol and ambulance service established; steam road roller purchased; Allentown Hospital opened; Lehigh Telephone Company organized and established; new houses built for the Pioneer, Franklin and Alien Fire Companies and the Liberty's house re-built and enlarged; a system of appointments to Police Department according to civil service rules inaugurated; bridges leading into the city constructed.

He married in 1884, Julie Leberman, born Nov. 10, 1857 at Bamberg, Germany, daughter of Meyer Leberman, Esquire, born at Merzbach, Germany, Sept. 10, 1812, died May 1, 1883, in Philadelphia and his wife, Fannie, born in Lounerstadt. Germany, June 28, 1814, died Feb. 1, 1878, in Philadelphia. On her marriage, Mrs. Schaadt entered the law offices of her husband. being the first woman to engage in professional work in Allentown, and has constantly continued in the same.

Mr. Schaadt has been a life-long member of St. John's Reformed Church Allentown; belongs to a number of fraternal beneficial organizations; is a member of the Pennsylvania German Society and the Lehigh County Historical Society; is president of the Associated Charities of Allentown, and of the Juvenile Court and Probation Association of Lehigh County, and is a trustee of the Allentown Hospital.