Sherman R. Moulton

From 1919's Vermont, Its Government by Walter J. Bigelow

Sherman R. Moulton (June 10, 1876 – June 16, 1949) was a Vermont attorney and judge. He is most notable for his service as an Associate Justice of the Vermont Supreme Court (1926-1939) and as Chief Justice (1939-1949).

Early life

Sherman Roberts Moulton was born in New York City on June 10, 1876, the son of Annie Jane Roberts and Clarence Freeman Moulton.[1] He was raised in Randolph, Vermont, and graduated from Randolph High School.[1] Moulton was an 1898 graduate of Dartmouth College, and in 1901 he received his LL.B. from Harvard Law School.[1] He completed his legal training with attorney Joseph D. Denison of Randolph, and attained admission to the bar in October 1901.[1]

Start of career

Moulton was an attorney for the Rutland Railroad from 1902 to 1903, and then worked as an associate at the Townsend & Avery firm in New York City.[1] In 1910, Moulton was one of the founding partners of Cowles, Moulton, & Stearns, a law firm located in Burlington, Vermont.[1] He left the firm in 1912, and established a Burlington office in which he was the principal.[1] Moulton was active in politics as a Republican; he was a member of the Burlington Republican Committee from 1910 to 1912, and was chairman beginning in 1911.[1] From 1911 to 1913, and again from 1915 to 1916, he served as Burlington's grand juror, responsible for pursuing prosecutions in the city court.[1][2]

Continued career

From 1915 to 1917, Moulton was executive clerk and legal advisor to Governor Charles W. Gates.[2] During World War I, Moulton served as a member of Vermont's Public Safety Committee, the body formed to coordinate the state government's wartime planning and actions.[2] In 1918, Moulton was elected to the Vermont Senate, and he served in 1919.[2] In addition, he served as reporter of decisions for the Vermont Supreme Court.

Judicial career

In January 1919, Moulton was appointed as a judge of the Vermont Superior Court, succeeding Eleazer L. Waterman.[2][3] He served until 1926, when he succeeded Fred M. Butler as an associate justice of the Vermont Supreme Court.[4] In July 1938, Moulton was appointed as chief justice of the state Supreme Court, succeeding George M. Powers.[5] He was succeeded as an associate justice by Olin M. Jeffords.[6] Moulton served as chief justice until retiring in February 1949.[7] He was succeeded as chief justice by associate justice John C. Sherburne.[8]

Death and burial

Moulton died in Burlington on June 16, 1949.[9] He was buried at Moulton Cemetery in Randolph.[10]

Honors

Moulton received the honorary degree of LL.D. from Boston University in 1941, and an honorary D.C.L. from the University of Vermont in 1945.[11]

Family

In 1906, Moulton married Stella Platt (1880-1966) of Burlington.[1][12] They were the parents of a son, Horace (1907-1991), who became a successful corporate attorney.[1][13]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Encyclopedia of Vermont Biography, p. 272.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Vermont, Its Government, p. 16.
  3. ↑ "Moulton Elected Superior Judge", p. 7.
  4. ↑ "Moulton Now on Supreme Bench", p. 1.
  5. ↑ "Sherman R. Moulton Made Chief Justice", p. 2.
  6. ↑ "Olin M. Jeffords Elevated", p. 2.
  7. ↑ "Chief Justice Sherman Moulton Resigns", p. 17.
  8. ↑ "John C. Sherburne Elected Chief Justice of Vt.", p. 1.
  9. ↑ "Former Chief Justice Moulton Dies Suddenly", p. 1.
  10. ↑ "Final Tribute Paid to leading Vt. Jurist", p. 5.
  11. ↑ Who's Who in America, p. 274.
  12. ↑ "Funerals Arranged: Mrs. Stella P. Moulton", p. 19.
  13. ↑ "Horace P. Moulton, 83, Ex-A.T.& T. Counsel".

Sources

Books

  • Bigelow, Walter J. (1919). Vermont, Its Government. Montpelier, VT: Historical Publishing Company.
  • Dodge, Prentiss Cutler (1912). Encyclopedia of Vermont Biography. Burlington, VT: Ullery Publishing Company.
  • Marquis, Albert N. (1948). Who's Who in America. 9–10. Chicago, IL: A. N. Marquis.

Newspapers

  • "Moulton Elected Superior Judge". Burlington Free Press. Burlington, VT. January 30, 1919 – via Newspapers.com. (Subscription required (help)).
  • "Moulton Now on Supreme Bench". Burlington Free Press. Burlington, VT. October 22, 1926 – via Newspapers.com. (Subscription required (help)).
  • "Sherman R. Moulton Made Chief Justice". Burlington Free Press. Burlington, VT. July 9, 1938 – via Newspapers.com. (Subscription required (help)).
  • "Olin M. Jeffords Elevated". Burlington Free Press. Burlington, VT. September 24, 1938 – via Newspapers.com. (Subscription required (help)).
  • "Chief Justice Sherman Moulton Resigns After 22 Years on Supreme Court Bench". Burlington Free Press. Burlington, VT. February 25, 1949 – via Newspapers.com. (Subscription required (help)).
  • "John C. Sherburne Elected Chief Justice of Vt". Burlington Free Press. Burlington, VT. April 2, 1949 – via Newspapers.com. (Subscription required (help)).
  • "Former Chief Justice Moulton Dies Suddenly". Burlington Free Press. Burlington, VT. June 17, 1949 – via Newspapers.com. (Subscription required (help)).
  • "Final Tribute Paid to leading Vt. Jurist". Burlington Free Press. Burlington, VT. June 20, 1949 – via Newspapers.com. (Subscription required (help)).
  • "Funerals Arranged: Mrs. Stella P. Moulton". Burlington Free Press. Burlington, VT. August 5, 1966 – via Newspapers.com. (Subscription required (help)).
  • "Horace P. Moulton, 83, Ex-A.T.& T. Counsel". New York Times. New York, NY. June 20, 1991.
Political offices
Preceded by
Fred M. Butler		 Associate Justice of the Vermont Supreme Court
1926–1938		 Succeeded by
Olin M. Jeffords
Preceded by
George M. Powers		 Chief Justice of the Vermont Supreme Court
1938–1949		 Succeeded by
John C. Sherburne
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.