Draft:James Denman

James Denman (April 14, 1829 – February 10, 1909) was an educator, school founder, school superintendent, and politician in California.

He was born in New York. He moved to California and organized the first free school in San Francisco. The school was named for him.

He married, had a son William Denman, a lawyer, and had a daughter.

He defunded the Chinese School in segregated San Francisco. James Denman Middle School is named for him. In 2021 San Francisco proposed renaming the school and 43 others named for historical figures deemed problematic.

The original Denman School was at Denman School at the northwest corner of Bush Street and Taylor Street.