Asbury Christian Compton (October 24, 1929 – April 9, 2006) was an American attorney and judge who served as a justice of the
Supreme Court of Virginia
The Supreme Court of Virginia is the highest court in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It primarily hears direct appeals in civil cases from the trial-level city and county circuit courts, as well as the criminal law, family law and administrative ...
from 1974 until 2000, and as a Senior justice until his death.
Compton was a native of
Ashland in
Hanover County, Virginia, and graduated from Ashland High School in 1946. Compton earned his B.A. in history and politics from
Washington and Lee in 1950 and his LL.B. from the
Washington and Lee University School of Law in 1953. While at Washington and Lee, Compton served as president of
Phi Kappa Sigma fraternity, class officer and captain of the basketball team. He was also a member of
Omicron Delta Kappa
Omicron Delta Kappa (), also known as The Circle and ODK, is one of the most prestigious honor societies in the United States with chapters at more than 300 college campuses. It was founded December 3, 1914, at Washington and Lee University in ...
, the lacrosse team,
Phi Alpha Delta legal fraternity, the University
Glee Club and the
Cotillion Club
The cotillion (also cotillon or French country dance) is a social dance, popular in 18th-century Europe and North America. Originally for four couples in square formation, it was a courtly version of an English country dance, the forerunner ...
.
Compton served in the U.S. Navy from 1953 to 1956 and the U.S. Naval Reserve from 1953 to 1961. He practiced law in Richmond with May, Garrett, Miller, Newman and Compton from 1957 to 1966.
In 1966,
Gov. Mills Godwin appointed Compton to the Law & Equity Court of the City of Richmond and then to the Supreme Court of Virginia in 1974. The
General Assembly re-elected him to another term in 1987. He retired from the Supreme Court in February 2000 and began service as a senior justice.
Compton maintained strong ties to Washington and Lee throughout his career. He served as president of the Alumni Association from 1972 to 1973. He received an Honorary Doctorate of Laws from his alma mater in 1975. He served member of the Board of Trustees from 1978 to 1989. He selected most of his law clerks from the top graduates of Washington and Lee School of Law.
Compton was married to Betty Stephenson Compton for 52 years until his death. They had three daughters—Leigh Compton Kiczales, Mary Compton Psyllos, Melissa Compton Patterson; and eight grandsons-Nicholas Kiczales, Luke Kiczales, Noah Stephenson Kiczales, Thomas Psyllos, Christian Psyllos, Daniel Patterson, James Patterson, and Henry Patterson.
Resolution of the Virginia General Assembly on the Death of A. Christian Compton
Justices of the Supreme Court of Virginia
Virginia lawyers
United States Navy officers
1929 births
2006 deaths
Washington and Lee University School of Law alumni
Washington and Lee University alumni
People from Ashland, Virginia
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