James Guy O'Donnell, a prominent member of the Miami county bar, city attorney of Covington for twenty years and one of the leading fraternalists of this part of the State, was born at Mount Gilead, Morrow county, Ohio, April 28, 1875, a son of James and Mary (Williams) O'Donnell, the former a native of Ireland and the latter of Morrow county. James O'Donnell was a young man when he immigrated to the United States and became a monument engraver, a vocation which he followed for many year, at Mount Gilead and Washington Court House, where he died in 1878. He and his wife were the parents of three children: Carrie, the wife of William Kienle, of Dayton; George M., an agent for the Ohio Fuel Supply Company at Covington, and James G. James Guy O'Donnell attended the public schools of Covington, graduating there from in 1893, after which he began the study of law in the office of the late Judge William C. Johnston, of Piqua. Admitted to the Ohio bar October 18, 1896, he opened an office at Covington January 15, 1897, and in May, 1899, was admitted to practice in the federal courts. From 1902 to 1911 he was associated with T. A. Billingsley, who practiced at Versailles, Ohio, the firm being O'Donnell & Billingsley, but in the latter year the partnership was dissolved when Mr. O'Donnell was elected prosecuting attorney of Miami county, a position to which he was re-elected, serving in all four years. For twenty years he has also been city attorney of Covington. Mr. O'Donnell's practice is large and important, and he is general attorney for the Dayton, Toledo & Chicago Railway, general attorney and director of the Stillwater Telephone and Telegraph Company and attorney for the Stillwater Valley Bank. During the recent war period he was untiringly active in behalf of the various campaigns for war funds. Few men of this locality are more prominent in fraternal circles. He belongs to the Masonic Blue Lodge at Covington, the Royal Arch Chapter at Troy, the Royal and Select Masters, of Troy, Coleman Commandery, Knights Templar, Troy, and Dayton Consistory, Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite, Dayton, and is a Noble of the Mystic Shrine, belonging to Antioch Temple of Dayton . He also holds membership in the Eastern Star at Troy, where he belongs likewise to the Odd Fellows lodge and encampment. He is a member of the Junior Order United American Mechanics, Covington council, and is past exalted ruler of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, holding membership in Piqua lodge. He is past great sachem of the Improved Order of Red Men and during the past six years has been one of the six representatives from Ohio to the Great Council of the United States. At this time he is acting high priest of the chapter of the Royal Arch Masons now being organized at Covington. With his family, Mr. O'Donnell belongs to the Presbyterian church. He married Emma T., daughter of Peter S. Colbert, of Miami county, and they have two sons: Jay Guy, a graduate of Covington High School, class of 1920, and now a student at Ohio State University, and Roger C., a junior in that school.