James Napier was born in Nashville in 1845. Most African Americans in the South were slaves back then, but Napier’s parents were free. After the Civil War, Napier was at the heart of every political struggle fought by black residents in Nashville. Councilman Napier led the battle to get Nashville’s government to hire black teachers for black public schools, and Citizen Napier helped organize Nashville’s fire engine company.

In 1910 Napier was chosen by President William Taft to be Registry of the Treasury. Napier stayed with the treasury until March 1913, and during that time his signature appeared on all paper money printed by the federal government.