Nathaniel Tompkins (May 17, 1879 – April 22, 1949) was an American politician and jurist from

Maine Maine () is a state in the New England and Northeastern regions of the United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec to the northeast and ...

. Tompkins, a

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 ...

, was elected to five terms in the

Maine Legislature The Maine Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Maine. It is a bicameral body composed of the lower house Maine House of Representatives and the upper house Maine Senate. The Legislature convenes at the State House in Augus ...

, including three in the Maine House of Representatives and two in the

Maine Senate The Maine Senate is the upper house of the Maine Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Maine. The Senate currently consists of 35 members representing an equal number of districts across the state, though the Maine Constituti ...

. During his tenure in the House, he served as House Speaker in 1935–1936. In 1938, he was elected to the Maine Senate. After being re-elected in 1940, Tompkins was elected by his fellow State Senators to be Senate President. He was appointed as a circuit court judge mid-way through his only term as President. Four years later, on July 27, 1945, he was appointed to the

Maine Supreme Judicial Court The Maine Supreme Judicial Court is the highest court in the state of Maine's judicial system. It is composed of seven justices, who are appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Maine Senate. From 1820 until 1839, justices served lifetime a ...

. He served in that position until his death in April 1949. He died in the Aroostook County Court House in Houlton. Tompkins studied at Ricker Classical Institute,

Colby College Colby College is a private liberal arts college in Waterville, Maine. It was founded in 1813 as the Maine Literary and Theological Institution, then renamed Waterville College after the city where it resides. The donations of Christian philant ...

and Harvard Law School.

References

1879 births 1949 deaths People from Houlton, Maine Speakers of the Maine House of Representatives Republican Party members of the Maine House of Representatives Presidents of the Maine Senate Ricker College alumni Colby College alumni Harvard Law School alumni Justices of the Maine Supreme Judicial Court Maine lawyers {{Maine-politician-stub