Charles Edwin Wolverton (May 16, 1851 – September 21, 1926) was an American state and federal judge in the state of

Oregon Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...

. He was the 18th Chief Justice on the

Oregon Supreme Court The Oregon Supreme Court (OSC) is the highest state court in the U.S. state of Oregon. The only court that may reverse or modify a decision of the Oregon Supreme Court is the Supreme Court of the United States.Oregon Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...

's highest court, followed by 21 years as a

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 ...

of the

United States District Court for the District of Oregon The United States District Court for the District of Oregon (in case citations, D. Ore. or D. Or.) is the United States district court, federal district court whose jurisdiction comprises the state of Oregon. It was created in 1859 when the sta ...

Early life

Charles Wolverton was born on May 16, 1851, in

Des Moines County Des Moines County is located in the U.S. state of Iowa. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, the population was 38,910. The county seat and largest city is Burlington, Iowa, Burlington. It is one of Iowa's two original counties alo ...

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 ...

, to John Wolverton and his wife the former Mary Jane Nealy.Corning, Howard M. ''Dictionary of Oregon History''. Binfords & Mort Publishing, 1956. In 1853, the family immigrated to the

Oregon Territory The Territory of Oregon was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from August 14, 1848, until February 14, 1859, when the southwestern portion of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Oregon. Ori ...

. There Charles received an education at

Christian College A Christian college is an educational institution or part of an educational institute dedicated to the integration of Christian faith and learning in traditional academic fields. Christian colleges in the United States Many Christian college ...

Monmouth Monmouth ( , ; cy, Trefynwy meaning "town on the Monnow") is a town and community in Wales. It is situated where the River Monnow joins the River Wye, from the Wales–England border. Monmouth is northeast of Cardiff, and west of London. I ...

, earning a

Bachelor of Science A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for programs that generally last three to five years. The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Science was the University of ...

degree in 1871. The following year he earned an

Artium Baccalaureus Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four years ...

degree from the same school. Wolverton then returned east and earned a

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 ...

from the

University of Kentucky College of Law The University of Kentucky J. David Rosenberg College of Law, also known as UK Rosenberg College of Law, is the law school of the University of Kentucky located in Lexington, Kentucky. Founded initially from a law program at Transylvania Universit ...

in 1874.

Legal career

Following

law school A law school (also known as a law centre or college of law) is an institution specializing in legal education, usually involved as part of a process for becoming a lawyer within a given jurisdiction. Law degrees Argentina In Argentina, ...

, Charles returned to Oregon where he began private practice in Albany, Oregon from 1874 until 1894. During this time he was the attorney for the Linn County School Board from 1878 to 1881. Also while in private practice Wolverton married Clara Ellen Price in 1878, a marriage from which there would be no children.

State judicial service

In 1894, Wolverton was elected to the

Oregon Supreme Court The Oregon Supreme Court (OSC) is the highest state court in the U.S. state of Oregon. The only court that may reverse or modify a decision of the Oregon Supreme Court is the Supreme Court of the United States.William Paine Lord William Paine Lord (July 20, 1838February 17, 1911) was an American Republican politician who served as the 9th governor of Oregon from 1895 to 1899. The Delaware native previously served as the 27th justice of the Oregon Supreme Court, including ...

.Oregon Blue Book: Earliest Authorities in Oregon.
Oregon Secretary of State. Retrieved on January 10, 2008. He won re-election for a second six-year term in 1900. During his time on the court he served as chief justice twice from 1898 to 1900 and then again in 1905 until he resigned on December 4, 1905, to accept a federal judicial post.

Thomas G. Hailey Thomas G. Hailey (July 13, 1865 – March 6, 1908) was an American attorney and judge in Oregon. He was the 35th justice of the Oregon Supreme Court in the United States. Prior to appointment to Oregon’s high court he served as a district attorn ...

was appointed by Oregon Governor

George Earle Chamberlain George Earle Chamberlain Sr. (January 1, 1854 – July 9, 1928) was an American attorney, politician, and public official in Oregon. A native of Mississippi and member of the Democratic Party, Chamberlain's political achievements included appoin ...

to finish Wolverton's term. While on the court he received an honorary law degree from

Willamette University College of Law Willamette University College of Law is the law school of Willamette University. Located in Salem, Oregon, and founded in 1883, Willamette is the oldest law school in the Pacific Northwest. It has approximately 24 full-time law professors and e ...

in 1900.

Federal judicial service

Wolverton received a

recess appointment In the United States, a recess appointment is an appointment by the president of a federal official when the U.S. Senate is in recess. Under the U.S. Constitution's Appointments Clause, the President is empowered to nominate, and with the advi ...

from 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 ...

on November 20, 1905, to a seat on the

vacated by Judge

Charles B. Bellinger Charles Byron Bellinger (November 21, 1839 – May 12, 1905) was a United States federal judge, United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of Oregon in Portland, Oregon, Portland, Oregon. A native of Illinois ...

. He was nominated to the same position by President Roosevelt on December 5, 1905. He 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 10, 1906, and received his commission the same day. His service terminated on September 21, 1926, due to his death in Gearhart, Oregon.

Fellow judge

After each stint as chief justice on the Oregon court Wolverton was followed by

Robert S. Bean Robert Sharp Bean (November 28, 1854 – January 7, 1931) was the 16th Chief Justice of the Oregon Supreme Court, serving as Chief Justice three different times. He later served as a United States district judge of the United States District Cour ...

. Bean would then join Wolverton on the federal court in 1909 when Congress added an additional judgeship to the Oregon district.

References

Sources

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Wolverton, Charles E. 1851 births 1926 deaths Western Oregon University alumni University of Kentucky College of Law alumni Judges of the United States District Court for the District of Oregon Politicians from Albany, Oregon United States district court judges appointed by Theodore Roosevelt 20th-century American judges Chief Justices of the Oregon Supreme Court People from Des Moines County, Iowa