District: 1
Hometown: Hugo Oklahoma, Choctaw County
Birthplace: Jackson County, Alabama
Spouse: Bertha Scott Armstrong
Children: William Jefferson Armstrong; Jasper Armstrong
James Reverdy Armstrong was the son of a Baptist preacher and attended Ouachita Baptist College at Arkadelphia, Arkansas and Southern Normal University at Huntingdon, Tennessee. Completing the law course at Southwestern University in Jackson, Armstrong was admitted to the Tennessee Bar in 1901. After a brief stay in Arkansas, he settled in Hugo, Oklahoma in 1904 and opened a law practice. Armstrong was very active in the statehood fight and was a champion of single statehood. In 1910, he was named district judge in Choctaw County. After a few months spent as judge of the Sixth Judicial District, he was elected to the Court of Criminal Appeals in 1910 and was re-elected to the court in 1914. Judge Armstrong was a member of the Court of Criminal Appeals until 1920 when he retired.
After retirement from the court, Armstrong was involved in oil operations all over the state. He served as Vice-President of the Middle States Oil Corporation and President of the Columbia Petroleum Corporation. In the late 1920’s Armstrong was the attorney and political advisor for Governor Henry S. Johnston. He was a member of the Baptist Church, a 32nd Degree Mason, belonged to the Elks in Hugo, and was a member of the Independent Order Of Odd Fellows.