James B. Brennan


James Boden Brennan was an American attorney and politician who served as Milwaukee City Attorney, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, and in the Wisconsin State Senate.

Life and career

Born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Brennan graduated from Marquette University High School and served in the United States Navy during World War II. He then received his bachelor's degree from the University of Notre Dame and his law degree from Marquette University Law School. He practiced law in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and served in the Wisconsin Senate from 1959 to 1962.
A Democrat, Brennan was appointed as United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin by President John F. Kennedy and served throughout the Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson administrations. In 1972, Brennan was elected Milwaukee City Attorney, serving until 1984. He was defeated in the 1984 election by one of his subordinates, Grant Langley, and worked briefly as a staff attorney for the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewage District before resigning from that role.
Brennan died on March 4, 1999 at the age of 73.