Elias Hansen (January 31, 1877 – September 3, 1966) was a justice of the Utah Supreme Court from 1927 to 1937, serving as chief justice from 1935 to 1937.

Early life, education, and career

Born in

Benjamin, Utah Benjamin is a census-designated place (CDP) in Utah County, Utah, United States. It is part of the Provo–Orem Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 1,145 at the 2010 census. History The first settlement at Benjamin was made '' ...

, James and Mary (Sorensen) Hansen, his parents were natives of Denmark who had settled in Utah, where his father became a farmer and cattle rancher, and an active member of the

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a nontrinitarian Christian church that considers itself to be the restoration of the original church founded by Jesus Christ. The c ...

.Thomas Kearns, ''Utah Since Statehood, Historical and Biographical, Vol. II'' (1919), p. 1034-37. Hansen, one of eight children born to the couple, attended the schools of Benjamin,

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, and Spanish Fork. His family being unable to support his ambitions, he worked as a sheep shearer and as a miner in order to attend the

University of Utah The University of Utah (U of U, UofU, or simply The U) is a public research university in Salt Lake City, Utah. It is the flagship institution of the Utah System of Higher Education. The university was established in 1850 as the University of De ...

.William H. Folland, "Tribute to Chief Justice Elias Hansen", 6 ''Utah Bar Bulletin (Annual Meeting)'' 46–47 (1936). He then taught school for six years in the high school of Park City, in Summit County, Utah, enabling him to continue he studies and receive his B.A. in 1902. He then taught history in the University of Utah for one year, and taught at the Branch Normal School at

Cedar City, Utah Cedar City is the largest city in Iron County, Utah, United States. It is located south of Salt Lake City, and north of Las Vegas on Interstate 15. It is the home of Southern Utah University, the Utah Shakespeare Festival, the Utah Summer Gam ...

, for four years. He spent two years in the

University of Chicago The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, U of C, or UChi) is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois. Its main campus is located in Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood. The University of Chicago is consistently ranked among the b ...

studying law to gain

admission to the bar An admission to practice law is acquired when a lawyer receives a license to practice law. In jurisdictions with two types of lawyer, as with barristers and solicitors, barristers must gain admission to the bar whereas for solicitors there are dist ...

in 1908. While there, he met and became friends with David W. Moffat, who also went on to serve on the Utah Supreme Court. Hansen established a law office at Spanish Fork, and by 1920 was "a prominent member of the Utah bar, practicing at Spanish Fork" and was considered to be "in the front rank of the representatives of the legal profession in Utah". He also became keenly interested in orcharding, and before 1920 was the owner of a sixty-acre fruit farm. He was described as doing "much experimental work upon his place". On one occasion he was defeated for the office of district attorney. However, he served eight years as city attorney of Spanish Fork.

Judicial service

In 1920, Hansen was elected judge of the Utah District Court of the Fourth Judicial District. He took office in 1921 and "gained a reputation of being one of the outstanding trial judges of heState". He was re-elected in 1924, serving until 1926, when he was elected to a seat on the Utah Supreme Court. A member of the

Republican Party Republican Party is a name used by many political parties around the world, though the term most commonly refers to the United States' Republican Party. Republican Party may also refer to: Africa *Republican Party (Liberia) * Republican Part ...

, he served on that court from 1927 to 1937, including service as chief justice from 1935 until his departure from the court on January 4, 1937, having lost his bid for reelection the previous year.''Utah's Senior Bar: Judge Elias Hansen'', 16 Utah Bar Bulletin 55 (Mar.–Apr. 1946).

Personal life

Hansen married Elizabeth Moore of Salt Lake City on April 2, 1903; they had one daughter, Ella, born around 1906. He died in 1966, and was buried in Salt Lake City Cemetery.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hansen, Elias Justices of the Utah Supreme Court 1877 births 1966 deaths People from Utah County, Utah University of Utah alumni University of Chicago alumni Utah Republicans Chief Justices of the Utah Supreme Court