Born in Marion County, Illinois, Wham received a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Illinois College of Law in 1909.
He was in private practice in Fort Smith and Fayetteville, Arkansas from 1909 to 1915.
He was an Assistant Solicitor in the United States Department of Agriculture in Washington, D.C. from 1915 to 1917.
[1] On February 26, 1927, Wham was nominated by President Calvin Coolidge to a seat on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Illinois vacated by Judge George W. English.
Wham was confirmed by the United States Senate on March 1, 1927, and received his commission the same day.