Ralph M. Holman

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Ralph M. Holman
74th Associate Justice of the Oregon Supreme Court
In office
1965 – 1980
Preceded by George Rossman
Succeeded by Jacob Tanzer
Spouse Louise Holman

Ralph M. Holman (born c. 1914) is an attorney and senior judge in the state of Oregon, United States. He was the 74th Associate Justice of the Oregon Supreme Court. Previously he was a circuit court judge for Clackamas County, Oregon.

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[edit] Early life

Ralph Holman attended Molalla High School in Molalla, Oregon where eight Holmans have graduated from, including Ralph in 1932.[1] Then during the Great Depression he worked as a clerk during the daytime, posting relief checks.[1] During the night he attended the Northwestern College of Law.[1] In 1937, he graduated from law school at what is now Lewis & Clark Law School in Portland, Oregon, with a juris doctorate.[2] Holman then began practicing law in Oregon City, Oregon before joining the United States Navy during World War II.[1]

[edit] Judicial career

After World War II Holman returned to Oregon where he served as a circuit court judge in Clackamas County for 15 years ending in 1965.[1] While on the bench in that court, his 1960 decision in a case that allowed the use of public funds for purchasing textbooks for parochial schools was overturned by the Oregon Supreme Court, whose decision was left intact by the United States Supreme Court when they denied certification.[3] In 1964 Holman was elected to the Oregon Supreme Court filling the position of George Rossman whose term had expired.[4] Holman won re-election to additional six-year terms in 1970 and 1976.[4] He resigned from the state’s highest court before the end of his term on January 20, 1980.[4]

[edit] Later life and family

In 1937, he married Louise Holman who died in 1989, and they would not have any children.[1] Holman is a Life Trustee at Lewis & Clark College.[2] Justice Holman is currently a senior judge for the state of Oregon, which allows the Chief Justice of the Oregon Supreme Court to appoint him as a judge on a temporary basis if a need arises.[5] In 2005, at the age of 91, Holman and other family members created the Holman Family Scholarship for graduates of Molalla High School.[1]

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Cargill, Linda. Molalla High grads create scholarships to say thanks. The Oregonian, June 16, 2005.
  2. ^ a b Catalog 2007-2008: Board of Trustees, 2007-08. Lewis & Clark College. Retrieved on January 25, 2008.
  3. ^ Dickman v. School Dist. No. 62C, Oregon City, Clackamas County, 232 Or. 238, 366 P.2d 533 (1961)
  4. ^ a b c Oregon Blue Book: Supreme Court Justices of Oregon. Oregon Secretary of State. Retrieved on January 25, 2008.
  5. ^ Oregon Blue Book: Senior judges. Oregon Secretary of State. Retrieved on January 25, 2008.