Harry Luther Conn (April 28, 1867 – June 4, 1939) was a jurist in the U.S. State of

Ohio Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...

. He was appointed to the Ohio Supreme Court in 1924 with no prior experience as a judge.

Biography

Harry L. Conn was born in Van Wert,

on April 28, 1867, the son of Perry C. and Sophronia Saltzgaber Conn. He entered the

United States Military Academy The United States Military Academy (USMA), also known metonymically as West Point or simply as Army, is a United States service academy in West Point, New York. It was originally established as a fort, since it sits on strategic high groun ...

in 1886. He was forced to resign his commission after two years due to ill health. After resigning from the academy, Conn moved to

Indianapolis, Indiana Indianapolis (), colloquially known as Indy, is the state capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the seat of Marion County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the consolidated population of Indianapolis and Mari ...

to take business classes. He was appointed court stenographer for the

Ohio Courts of Common Pleas Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...

in five counties in Northwest Ohio. Conn passed the Ohio bar examination in 1894, and opened a private practice in Van Wert, while continuing as court stenographer in

Van Wert County Van Wert County is a county located in the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2020 census, the population was 28,931. Its county seat is Van Wert. The county was created in February 12, 1820 and later organized on March 18, 1837. It is named for I ...

. Conn was elected as Van Wert county prosecutor in 1903, was re-elected in 1905, and lost re-election in 1907. Conn was appointed Ohio Commissioner of Insurance and Director of the

Ohio Department of Insurance The Ohio Department of Insurance (ODI) is an Ohio state government Ohio Rev. Code § 121.01 ''et seq.'' administrative agency. The ODI provides consumer protection through education and regulation while promoting a stable and competitive environme ...

in January 1923 by newly elected Democratic

Governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

A. Victor Donahey Alvin Victor Donahey (also known as A. Victor Donahey, A. Vic Donahey, Vic Donahey, A. V. Donahey, or Honest Vic Donahey) (July 7, 1873April 8, 1946) was an American Democratic Party politician from Ohio. Donahey was the 50th governor of Ohio and ...

. He had served for eighteen months when Ohio Supreme Court Judge R. M. Wanamaker committed suicide on June 18, 1924. Governor Donahey appointed Conn to the vacant seat. He served until he lost election for the remainder of the term in November 1924 to Republican

Reynolds R. Kinkade Reynolds Robert Kinkade was a Republican jurist from the U.S. state of Ohio. He sat on the Ohio Supreme Court from 1925 to 1933. Biography Kinkade was born to Eleazer and Hannah Lyons Kinkade of Keokuk County, Iowa on March 3, 1854. He was ad ...

. He resigned December 2, 1924. Conn resumed being Director of the Ohio Department of Insurance in 1925, and then returned to his private practice in Van Wert. He was chairman of the board of directors of the First National Bank of Van Wert, and was a member of the Van Wert

Elks Lodge The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks (BPOE; also often known as the Elks Lodge or simply The Elks) is an American fraternal order founded in 1868, originally as a social club in New York City. History The Elks began in 1868 as a soci ...

and the First

Presbyterian Church Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their nam ...

. Harry L. Conn married Irene Balyeat in 1898. They raised two children. Harry L. Conn died from injuries in a fall down the stairs from the second floor Elks Lodge meeting rooms in Van Wert to the sidewalk on June 14, 1939.

References

External sources

{{DEFAULTSORT:Conn, Harry L. 1867 births 1939 deaths Accidental deaths from falls Accidental deaths in Ohio County district attorneys in Ohio Ohio Democrats Justices of the Ohio Supreme Court People from Van Wert, Ohio United States Military Academy alumni State insurance commissioners of the United States