Benjamin Clark Hilliard (January 9, 1868 – August 7, 1951) was an American lawyer, jurist, and politician. He served two terms as a

U.S. Representative The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...

from

Colorado Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of t ...

, and was a two-time chief justice of the Supreme Court of Colorado.

Early life and education

Born in a log cabin north of Osceola, Iowa, Hilliard was the son of Albert George Hilliard who was a farmer and served as private in the

37th Illinois Infantry Regiment The 37th Regiment Illinois Volunteer Infantry, nicknamed the "Fremont Rifles" and "Illinois Greyhounds", was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Organization The 37th Illinois Infantry was organized ...

under Colonel

John C. Black John Charles Black (January 27, 1839 – August 17, 1915) was a Democratic U.S. Congressman from Illinois. He received the Medal of Honor for his actions as a Union Army lieutenant colonel and regimental commander at the Battle of Prairie Grove d ...

. He was severely wounded during the war, and carried bullets within his body and his right eye was destroyed. His mother, Euphema Ellen Clark, was an educated and cultured woman who died in 1881. At the time of her death, Hilliard had two siblings. His father remarried and moved to Kansas, where he died due to accidental drowning in 1906. Hilliard attended the public schools of

Iowa Iowa () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wisconsin to the northeast, Illinois to the ...

and

Kansas Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the ...

. He taught school in Kansas. He graduated from the University of Iowa College of Law in 1891.

Career

He was admitted to the bar in Iowa in 1891 and in Missouri in 1892. He commenced practice in

Kansas City, Missouri Kansas City (abbreviated KC or KCMO) is the largest city in Missouri by population and area. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 508,090 in 2020, making it the 36th most-populous city in the United States. It is the central ...

. He moved to

Denver, Colorado Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...

in 1893 and was admitted to the bar in Colorado that year. He served as city attorney of Highlands, Colorado in 1896 and 1897, as county attorney of

Elbert County, Colorado Elbert County is a county located in the U.S. state of Colorado. As of the 2020 census, the population was 26,062. The county seat is Kiowa and the largest town is Elizabeth. Elbert County is included in the Denver-Aurora- Lakewood, CO Metro ...

from 1897 to 1907, and as county attorney of Grand County, Colorado 1909-1913. Initially a Republican, Hilliard joined the Democratic party in 1902. He served as member of the

Colorado House of Representatives The Colorado House of Representatives is the lower house of the Colorado General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Colorado. The House is composed of 65 members from an equal number of constituent districts, with each distr ...

in 1902. He served as member of the Denver Board of Education 1900-1902 from 1904 to 1909, and 1913-1917. Hilliard was elected as a

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

to the Sixty-fourth and Sixty-fifth Congresses (March 4, 1915 – March 3, 1919). On April 5, 1917, he voted against declaring war on Germany. He was not a candidate for renomination in 1918. He resumed the practice of law. Hilliard was elected justice of the Supreme Court of Colorado in 1930 and served as chief justice in 1939, 1940, 1944, 1949 and 1950. Due to his many minority opinions, he was frequently called the state's "great dissenter". He was a member of the Denver Civic and Commercial Association and the Denver and Colorado bar associations. He was active in the local

Masonic Temple A Masonic Temple or Masonic Hall is, within Freemasonry, the room or edifice where a Masonic Lodge meets. Masonic Temple may also refer to an abstract spiritual goal and the conceptual ritualistic space of a meeting. Development and history In ...

and his church.

Personal life

On May 22, 1889, Hilliard married Tida Zimmerman in Carroll County, Missouri. Her parents, John and Dora Zimmerman, were wealthy farmers and provided a good education for their daughter, Tida. They had four children, two sons and two daughters. Both of his sons became lawyers. His wife died in 1946. He had a heart attack on August 1, 1951 and was taken to St. Luke's Hospital. He died in

Denver Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...

, August 7, 1951. He was interred in Crown Hill Cemetery.

Notes

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Hilliard, Benjamin Clark 1868 births 1951 deaths Justices of the Colorado Supreme Court District attorneys in Colorado School board members in Colorado Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Colorado People from Clarke County, Iowa University of Iowa College of Law alumni Democratic Party members of the Colorado House of Representatives Chief Justices of the Colorado Supreme Court