John H. Van Voorhis (June 14, 1897 – November 25, 1983) was an American lawyer and politician.

Life

Van Voorhis was born on June 14, 1897, in Irondequoit,

Monroe County, New York Monroe County is a county in the Finger Lakes region of the State of New York. The county is along Lake Ontario's southern shore. At the 2020 census, Monroe County's population was 759,443, an increase since the 2010 census. Its county seat a ...

, the son of Eugene Van Voorhis (c.1864–1943) and Allis (Sherman) Van Voorhis. He graduated

A.B. 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 yea ...

from

Yale College Yale College is the undergraduate college of Yale University. Founded in 1701, it is the original school of the university. Although other Yale schools were founded as early as 1810, all of Yale was officially known as Yale College until 1887, ...

in 1919. He was admitted to the bar in 1922, and commenced the practice of law at

Rochester, New York Rochester () is a city in the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Monroe County, and the fourth-most populous in the state after New York City, Buffalo, and Yonkers, with a population of 211,328 at the 2020 United States census. Located in W ...

. On June 2, 1928, he married Linda Gale Lyon (ca. 1902-1989), and they had three children. He was Town Attorney of Irondequoit from 1928 to 1933, and in 1936.

Career

In 1936, he was elected to the New York Supreme Court (7th District), and re-elected in 1950. He sat on the Appellate Division (4th Dept.) from 1947 on. In

1944 Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January * January 2 – WWII: ** Free French General Jean de Lattre de Tassigny is appointed to command French Army B, part of the Sixth United States Army Group in Nor ...

, he ran on the

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

ticket for the New York Court of Appeals, but was defeated by Democrat Marvin R. Dye. On April 23, 1953, Van Voorhis was appointed by Governor

Thomas E. Dewey Thomas Edmund Dewey (March 24, 1902 – March 16, 1971) was an American lawyer, prosecutor, and politician who served as the 47th governor of New York from 1943 to 1954. He was the Republican candidate for president in 1944 and 1948: although ...

to fill the vacancy caused by the appointment of

Edmund H. Lewis Edmund Harris Lewis (August 30, 1884, Syracuse, Onondaga County, New York – July 31, 1972, Skaneateles, Onondaga County, New York) was an American lawyer and politician from New York. He was Chief Judge of the New York Court of Appeals from ...

Chief Judge A chief judge (also known as presiding judge, president judge or principal judge) is the highest-ranking or most senior member of a lower court or circuit court with more than one judge. According to the Federal judiciary of the United States, th ...

. In November 1953, Lewis was elected Chief Judge, and on January 1, 1954, Van Voorhis was re-appointed to the seat. In November 1954, he ran on the Republican and Democratic tickets to succeed himself, and was elected. He retired from the bench at the end of 1967 when he reached the constitutional age limit of 70 years. Afterwards he resumed the practice of law and taught at

New York Law School New York Law School (NYLS) is a private law school in Tribeca, New York City. NYLS has a full-time day program and a part-time evening program. NYLS's faculty includes 54 full-time and 59 adjunct professors. Notable faculty members include E ...

. He died on November 25, 1983. Congressman

John Van Voorhis John Van Voorhis (October 22, 1826October 20, 1905) was an American lawyer and politician from New York. Early life Van Voorhis was born in 1826 in Decatur, New York. His family moved several times before settling in the town of Mendon. He ...

(1826–1905) was his grandfather.

Sources

''The History of the New York Court of Appeals, 1932-2003''
by Bernard S. Meyer, Burton C. Agata & Seth H. Agata (page 24)

Court of Appeals judges
''APPEALS BENCH IS FILLED; Governor Appoints Van Voorhis to State's Highest Court''
in NYT on April 24, 1953 (subscription required)

His father's obit, in NYT on December 22, 1943 (subscription required)

His wife's obit, in NYT on August 22, 1987
''MARRIED IN WASHINGTON; Eugene Van Voorhis and Allis Sherman United Yesterday''
His parents' wedding, in NYT on February 19, 1896
''NY State Courts, Appellate Division First Department''
Judge Van Voorhis' Biographical Sketch {{DEFAULTSORT:Van Voorhis, John Judges of the New York Court of Appeals 1897 births 1983 deaths American people of Dutch descent Yale College alumni The Hill School alumni People from Irondequoit, New York Politicians from Rochester, New York New York Supreme Court Justices 20th-century American judges Lawyers from Rochester, New York 20th-century American lawyers New York State Supreme Court, Appellate Division, Fourth Department justices

Life

Career

See also

Sources