Henry A. Melvin
| Henry Alexander Melvin | |
|---|---|
| Associate Justice of the California Supreme Court | |
|
In office September 28, 1908 – December 1920 | |
| Appointed by | Direct election |
| Preceded by | Thomas B. McFarland |
| Succeeded by | William A. Sloane |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
September 28, 1865 Springfield, Illinois, U.S. |
| Died |
April 24, 1920 (aged 54) Sacramento, California, U.S. |
| Spouse(s) | Sarah Louise Morse (m. 1893) |
| Alma mater |
University of California, Berkeley (BA) University of California, Hastings College of the Law (LLB) |
Henry Alexander Melvin (September 28, 1865 - April 24, 1920) was an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of California from September 28, 1908 to December 1920.[1]
Biography
Melvin was born at Springfield, Illinois, on September 28, 1865 to Samual and Sarah Melvin, the youngest of four children.[2] His siblings were Mrs. A. A. Dewing, James R. Melvin and Charles. S. Melvin. When he was 9 years old, he and his parents moved from Illinois to St. Helena, California. Four years later in 1878, his parents moved to Oakland where his father, a retired medical practitioner, opened a pharmacy. Henry attended the University of California, Berkeley while assisting his father as a clerk in order to afford some of the school fees. He graduated from the University of California in 1889.[3]
He immediately enrolled in Hastings College of Law, and graduated in 1892. While he was a student there, he was elected and served as the Justice of the Peace of Brooklyn Township in Alameda County.
Melvin had served in public offices from the start of his career, especially in administration of justice. In 1893, he became the assistant District Attorney of Alameda County. The next year in 1894, he accepted a give year term to serve as Prosecuting Attorney for the City of Oakland. He returned to Alameda County to serve as Chief Deputy District Attorney, except for a period of 3 months when he was acting Deputy Attorney General of California. In 1901, he accepted the position of Superior Court Judge of Alameda county. He held that position until September 28, 1908, when was elected Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of California. He had succeeded Thomas B. McFarland, who had died in office. Melvin was re-elected at expiration of his term. He was in the middle of serving his third term when he died. That term would have expired in January 1923.
Personal life
On June 14, 1893, he married Sarah Louise Morse of Portland, Oregon. He was survived by a son.
References
- ↑ "Henry A. Melvin". 2014-04-08. Retrieved 2016-08-03.
- ↑ "San Francisco Call 12 May 1900 — California Digital Newspaper Collection". cdnc.ucr.edu. Retrieved 2016-08-03.
- ↑ "Henry A. Melvin". 2014-04-08. Retrieved 2016-08-03.
External links
- Henry A. Melvin. California Supreme Court Historical Society. Retrieved July 18, 2017.
- Past & Present Justices. California State Courts. Retrieved July 19, 2017.
See also
| Legal offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Thomas B. McFarland |
Associate Justice of the California Supreme Court 1908–1920 |
Succeeded by William A. Sloane |