Arthur Loomis Sanborn (November 17, 1850October 18, 1920) was an American lawyer and judge. He was
United States district judge
The United States district courts are the trial courts of the United States federal judiciary, U.S. federal judiciary. There is one district court for each United States federal judicial district, federal judicial district, which each cover o ...
for the
United States District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin, appointed by President
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt Jr. ( ; October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), often referred to as Teddy or by his initials, T. R., was an American politician, statesman, soldier, conservationist, naturalist, historian, and writer who served as the 26t ...
, he served from 1905 until his death in 1920.
Early life and education
Born in
Brasher Falls, New York
Brasher Falls is the largest hamlet (New York), hamlet and a census-designated place (CDP) in the town of Brasher, New York, Brasher in St. Lawrence County, New York, St. Lawrence County, New York (state), New York, United States. As of the 2010 U ...
, Sanborn moved with his parents to
Wisconsin
Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...
in 1857, settling in
Lake Geneva
, image = Lake Geneva by Sentinel-2.jpg
, caption = Satellite image
, image_bathymetry =
, caption_bathymetry =
, location = Switzerland, France
, coords =
, lake_type = Glacial lak ...
. His father died when he was 11 years old, leaving the family in a difficult financial situation. To help the family, he went to work in a
wool mill
Textile Manufacturing or Textile Engineering is a major industry. It is largely based on the conversion of fibre into yarn, then yarn into fabric. These are then dyed or printed, fabricated into cloth which is then converted into useful goods s ...
. He was self-educated, and, when the family moved to
Elkhorn, the county seat, in 1869, he was able to obtain employment as a clerk in the office of the
Register of Deeds
Recorder of deeds or deeds registry is a government office tasked with maintaining public records and documents, especially records relating to real estate ownership that provide persons other than the owner of a property with real rights over ...
. He began to study law and was elected Register of Deeds for
Walworth County, serving from 1875 to 1879. In 1879 he entered the
University of Wisconsin Law School, where he received his
Bachelor of Laws
Bachelor of Laws ( la, Legum Baccalaureus; LL.B.) is an undergraduate law degree in the United Kingdom and most common law jurisdictions. Bachelor of Laws is also the name of the law degree awarded by universities in the People's Republic of Chi ...
the following year.
Career
He formed a law partnership with former mayor
Silas U. Pinney in
Madison Madison may refer to:
People
* Madison (name), a given name and a surname
* James Madison (1751–1836), fourth president of the United States
Place names
* Madison, Wisconsin, the state capital of Wisconsin and the largest city known by this ...
, where he would practice law for the next 25 years. Their partnership would endure until Mr. Pinney's election to the
Wisconsin Supreme Court
The Wisconsin Supreme Court is the highest appellate court in Wisconsin. The Supreme Court has jurisdiction over original actions, appeals from lower courts, and regulation or administration of the practice of law in Wisconsin.
Location
The Wi ...
in 1891. The firm Pinney & Sanborn was involved in many important railroad cases in the state.
During this period, Sanborn was also employed as a professor of law on the faculty of the
University of Wisconsin
A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, t ...
, and served on the
state board
State may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Literature
* '' State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State
* ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, United States
* ''Our ...
of bar examiners.
Sanborn was the
Republican candidate for
mayor
In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well a ...
of Madison in 1890, but was defeated by city attorney
Robert McKee Bashford
Robert McKee Bashford (December 31, 1845January 29, 1911) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 25th Mayor of Madison, Wisconsin, and represented Dane County in the Wisconsin State Senate from 1893 to 1897. He also served briefl ...
.
In 1893, Sanborn formed a new partnership, Spooner, Sanborn & Spooner, with former U.S. Senator
John Coit Spooner.
Federal judicial service
On January 6, 1905, Sanborn was nominated by President
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt Jr. ( ; October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), often referred to as Teddy or by his initials, T. R., was an American politician, statesman, soldier, conservationist, naturalist, historian, and writer who served as the 26t ...
to a seat on the
United States District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin vacated by Judge
Romanzo Bunn. Sanborn was confirmed by the
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States.
The composition and pow ...
on January 9, 1905, and received his commission the same day. Sanborn served in that capacity until his death on October 18, 1920.
Personal life
Arthur Sanborn married Alice E. Golder, of Elkhorn, on October 15, 1874. They had four children together.
Sanborn is descended from Lieutenant John Sanborn, an early settler at the
Province of New Hampshire
The Province of New Hampshire was a colony of England and later a British province in North America. The name was first given in 1629 to the territory between the Merrimack and Piscataqua rivers on the eastern coast of North America, and was nam ...
.
Electoral history
Madison Mayor (1890)
, colspan="6" style="text-align:center;background-color: #e9e9e9;", General Election, April 1, 1890
References
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sanborn, Arthur Loomis
1850 births
1920 deaths
People from St. Lawrence County, New York
Judges of the United States District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin
United States district court judges appointed by Theodore Roosevelt
19th-century American lawyers
20th-century American judges
20th-century American lawyers
Lawyers from Madison, Wisconsin
University of Wisconsin Law School alumni