James Essex Elam (1829–1873) was Mayor of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, serving four terms between 1858 and his death in 1873.
Elam then returned to Baton Rouge to practice law with his father.
After practicing law with his father until his death in 1856, Elam ran for Mayor in 1858 and was elected at the age of 29.
Elam died on July 31, 1873, while serving his fourth non-consecutive term as Mayor of Baton Rouge.
It was reported that "he enjoyed the respect of every individual in the community during his long public career"[2] He was interred in the family plot in the Magnolia Cemetery in Baton Rouge.