Jim is no stranger to the CFA, having attended five reunions (including several with his wife, Margaret, and son, John) and contributing articles from time to time for the CFA newsletter. We offer here a little background on our distinguished cousin.
Jim is one of a number of our members who descend from the three Clopton sisters (Mary, Cassandra, and Catherine) who married three Perrin brothers (William, Josephus, and George). His line emigrated from Virginia to Kentucky and then on to Missouri.
Our president’s early years were spent in St. Joseph, Missouri. He then began an educational odyssey that took him to New Hampshire (Phillips Exeter Academy), California (Stanford University), and Massachusetts (Harvard Law School). Jim apparently got tired of moving because he then joined and remained for over 35 years with the Boston law firm of Choate, Hall & Stewart.
Incidentally, Mr. Choate who founded Jim’s firm in 1899 is from a family that traces themselves back to our ancestral church - St. Bartholomew’s Church in Groton, England! And of course John Winthrop, who founded Boston, was also from St. Bartholmew’s. Small world . . .
Before the 2008 CFA reunion, Jim discovered that his wife, Margaret, is a double Clopton through the Claiborne family of Virginia, which, of course, makes their son, John, a triple Clopton.
Sadly, Jim and Margaret’s dear daughter, Susan, passed away in 2004 at the age of 10 from brain cancer. She was a charming and vibrant young girl who would have loved getting to know her Clopton cousins.
Jim is now mostly retired, which gives him more time for his interests, like genealogy. He also serves as Chairman of the largest non-profit provider of foster care in Massachusetts, is very active in his local church, and serves as “Tri Sherpa” for his wife.
Margaret McDaniel is an accomplished triathlete, having raced several times in the USA age group national championships and qualified for the world championships. Congratulations to her!
When Margaret is not pounding out the miles in training, this Certified Public Accountant works for an accounting firm specializing in non-profits.
Contact Jim by email at president@cloptonfamily.net.