Claude Vernon Spratley (July 16, 1882 – October 25, 1976) was born in
Surry County, Virginia. He attended the
College of William and Mary
The College of William & Mary (officially The College of William and Mary in Virginia, abbreviated as William & Mary, W&M) is a public research university in Williamsburg, Virginia. Founded in 1693 by letters patent issued by King William III a ...
, where he received a
Bachelor of Arts
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 in 1901 and the
University of Virginia School of Law
The University of Virginia School of Law (Virginia Law or UVA Law) is the law school of the University of Virginia, a public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia. It was founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson as part of his "academical v ...
, receiving his law degree in 1906. Afterward, he was admitted to the bar and began practice in
Hampton, Virginia
Hampton () is an independent city (United States), independent city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, the population was 137,148. It is the List ...
. From 1912 to 1923 he was city attorney for Hampton and town attorney for
Phoebus, Virginia, from 1910 to 1923. In 1923, he was elected judge of the Eleventh Judicial Circuit and served there until being elected to the
Supreme Court of Appeals in 1936. Justice Spratley remained on this court until he retired on September 30, 1967. Justice Spratley was a member of
Phi Beta Kappa
The Phi Beta Kappa Society () is the oldest academic honor society in the United States, and the most prestigious, due in part to its long history and academic selectivity. Phi Beta Kappa aims to promote and advocate excellence in the liberal a ...
and
Phi Delta Phi.
1882 births
1976 deaths
Justices of the Supreme Court of Virginia
Virginia lawyers
University of Virginia School of Law alumni
College of William & Mary alumni
People from Elizabeth City County, Virginia
People from Surry County, Virginia
20th-century American judges
Virginia circuit court judges
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