James E. O'Neill Jr. was a Democratic Michigan politician and teacher who served as a member of that state's House of Representatives from 1967 through 1994.

[2] A high school teacher and elementary school principal in Hemlock, O'Neill was a tireless advocate for schools and education, a respected source of information on school finance, and a key contributor to the landmark changes made by Proposal A.

[3] O'Neill was also a strong supporter of Saginaw Valley State University, and the arena in the Ryder Center on the campus was named in his honor in 1989.

[4][5] Following his retirement from the Legislature, O'Neill was appointed to the Board of State Canvassers.

He died of complications from open-heart surgery on December 31, 2002, aged 73.