Lyman Decatur Norris (May 4, 1823 to January 6, 1894) was a lawyer, member of the Michigan Constitutional Convention of 1867, and a State Senator from

Washtenaw County, Michigan Washtenaw County () is a county located in the U.S. state of Michigan. At the 2020 census, the population was 372,258. The county seat is Ann Arbor. The county was authorized by legislation in 1822 and organized as a county in 1826. Washtenaw ...

from 1869 to 1871. He was involved in

Dred Scott Case ''Dred Scott v. Sandford'', 60 U.S. (19 How.) 393 (1857), was a landmark decision of the United States Supreme Court that held the U.S. Constitution did not extend American citizenship to people of black African descent, enslaved or free; t ...

when it was argued in St. Louis Circuit Court.

Early life

He was born in

Covington, New York Covington is an incorporated town in Wyoming County, New York. The population was 1,231 at the 2010 census. The town was named after General Leonard Covington. The Town of Covington is on eastern border of the county. History The Town of Cov ...

to Mark Norris (1796–1862), a businessman, mason, and an anti-slavery Whig, and Roccena B. Vaill (1797–1876). In 1828 Mark Norris relocated his family to

Ypsilanti, Michigan Ypsilanti (), commonly shortened to Ypsi, is a city in Washtenaw County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 census, the city's population was 20,648. The city is bounded to the north by Superior Township and on the west, south, and ...

. In 1841 Lyman Norris enrolled at the

University of Michigan , mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth" , former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821) , budget = $10.3 billion (2021) , endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...

. He transferred to

Yale University Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wo ...

after three years and received a law degree. Norris read law with Alexander D. Fraser in

Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at th ...

and was admitted to the Bar in Michigan in 1847.Janice Anschueltz
A Tale of Two River Street Men: Justus and Lyman Decatur Norris
''Ypsilanti History'', 13 (Spring 2015).

Career

In 1848–1853, Lyman Norris practiced law in

St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi River, Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the Greater St. Louis, ...

, where he became engaged in politics as Democrat. He co-owned and served as political editor of the ''St. Louis Daily Times''. In 1849, Norris and

Hugh A. Garland Hugh Alfred Garland (June 1, 1805 – October 14, 1854) was an American slaveholder, lawyer and politician. He served in the Virginia House of Delegates. In 1838 to 1841 he served as clerk of the United States House of Representatives. Garland wa ...

represented pro-slavery client in the Missouri's Dred Scott Case, ''Scott v. Emerson, 15 Mo. 576 (1852)''. They were successful in arguing that Dred Scott's ''free-soil'' residence did not entitle him to sue for freedom. Oddly, Lyman Norris offered Dred Scott a loan to purchase freedom. In 1854, Norris returned to

. In 1867 Norris attended the Michigan Constitutional Convention. In 1871 he moved to

Grand Rapids, Michigan Grand Rapids is a city and county seat of Kent County, Michigan, Kent County in the U.S. state of Michigan. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city had a population of 198,917 which ranks it as the List of municipalities in Mi ...

. He ran as a candidate for the Michigan Supreme Court in 1875. He was appointed a Regent of the University of Michigan in 1883.''History of the University of Michigan''
by Burke Aaron Hinsdale and Isaac Newton Demmon. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan, 1906, pp.200-201. He died at Grand Rapids on January 6, 1894.

Family

In 1854 Lyman Norris married Lucy Alsop Whittelsey from

Middletown, Connecticut Middletown is a city located in Middlesex County, Connecticut, United States, Located along the Connecticut River, in the central part of the state, it is south of Hartford, Connecticut, Hartford. In 1650, it was incorporated by English settler ...

. Mark Norris (1857–1943) and Maria W. Norris (1858–1938) were their surviving children; Mark Norris became a lawyer and Maria Norris became a physician.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Norris, Lyman 1823 births 1894 deaths 19th-century American lawyers American proslavery activists People from Genesee County, New York Lawyers from Detroit People from Ypsilanti, Michigan University of Michigan alumni

Early life

Career

Family

References

Further reading

External links