Paul A. Chase (November 13, 1895 – July 31, 1963) was a Vermont military officer, attorney, and public official. He served as an associate justice of the

Vermont Supreme Court The Vermont Supreme Court is the highest judicial authority of the U.S. state of Vermont. Unlike most other states, the Vermont Supreme Court hears appeals directly from the trial courts, as Vermont has no intermediate appeals court. The Court ...

from 1953 to 1956. The son of a prominent attorney and brother of

Harrie B. Chase Harrie Brigham Chase (August 9, 1889 – November 17, 1969) was an American lawyer and judge. He served briefly on the Supreme Court of Vermont, and then was a United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circ ...

, who served as a federal judge, Paul Chase was born in

Whitingham, Vermont Whitingham is a town in Windham County, Vermont, United States. The town was named for Nathan Whiting, a landholder. The population was 1,344 at the 2020 census. Whitingham is the birthplace of Brigham Young, the second president of the Church o ...

and raised in

Brattleboro Brattleboro (), originally Brattleborough, is a town in Windham County, Vermont, United States. The most populous municipality abutting Vermont's eastern border with New Hampshire, which is the Connecticut River, Brattleboro is located about nor ...

. He attended

Amherst College Amherst College ( ) is a private liberal arts college in Amherst, Massachusetts. Founded in 1821 as an attempt to relocate Williams College by its then-president Zephaniah Swift Moore, Amherst is the third oldest institution of higher educatio ...

, served in the Army during

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, and returned home to study law with his father and brother. After admission to the bar, Chase served in prominent government positions during the 1920s including state commissioner of taxes and special assistant to the

United States Attorney General The United States attorney general (AG) is the head of the United States Department of Justice, and is the chief law enforcement officer of the federal government of the United States. The attorney general serves as the principal advisor to the p ...

. After practicing law in Vermont throughout the 1930s, and serving in the National Guard and organized Reserve, Chase returned to active duty for

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

and attained the rank of colonel as a member of the Judge Advocate General Corps. After service in the Pacific and with units in the United States, he returned to Vermont to resume practicing law. His post-war ascent was rapid and he moved quickly from member of the

Vermont House of Representatives The Vermont House of Representatives is the lower house of the Vermont General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Vermont. The House comprises 150 members, with each member representing around 4,100 citizens. Representatives ar ...

to Chairman of the Vermont Public Service Commission to Judge of the

Vermont Superior Court The Judiciary of Vermont is the state court system of Vermont, charged with Vermont law. Vermont Constitution The Vermont courts are established in the Vermont Constitution in sections 28-41 (Judiciary Department). The justices of the Vermont S ...

. In 1953, Chase was appointed an Associate Justice of the

and he served until increasingly ill health forced him to retire in 1956. Chase died in Townshend, Vermont and was buried in Brattleboro.

Early life

Paul Addison Chase was born in

on November 13, 1895, the son of attorney Charles Sumner Chase and Carrie (Brigham) Chase. His siblings included

, who served on the

and the

United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit The United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit (in case citations, 2d Cir.) is one of the thirteen United States Courts of Appeals. Its territory comprises the states of Connecticut, New York and Vermont. The court has appellate juri ...

. Chase was raised in

, and he graduated from Brattleboro High School in 1914. Chase attended

as a member of the class of 1918, and left during his junior year to join the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...

for

World War I

First assigned to the 151st Depot Brigade at

Camp Devens Fort Devens is a United States Army Reserve military installation in the towns of Ayer and Shirley, in Middlesex County and Harvard in Worcester County in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. Due to extensive environmental contamination it was l ...

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut assachusett writing systems, məhswatʃəwiːsət'' English: , ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the most populous U.S. state, state in the New England ...

, after completing his initial training Chase was assigned to the 304th Infantry Regiment a subordinate command of the 76th Division. By September 1918, Chase was attending the signal school at the 1st Depot Division in

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

, where he was trained to lay telephone cable and install and operate field telephones and switchboards. Subsequently assigned to the headquarters of the

148th Infantry Regiment The 148th Infantry Regiment is an Ohio Army National Guard parent regiment under the U.S. Army Regimental System, with headquarters at Walbridge, Ohio. It currently consists of the 1st Battalion, 148th Infantry Regiment, an infantry battalion ...

, a unit of the 37th Division, he took part in combat during October and November, including the

Battle of Saint-Mihiel The Battle of Saint-Mihiel was a major World War I battle fought from 12–15 September 1918, involving the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) and 110,000 French troops under the command of General John J. Pershing of the United States against ...

, and fighting around Avocourt during the Meuse-Argonne Offensive. Chase remained in Europe for post-war occupation duty, and was promoted to corporal in December 1918. He returned to the United States in April 1919, and was discharged at Camp Devens. After the war, he took part in organizing the

American Legion The American Legion, commonly known as the Legion, is a non-profit organization of U.S. war War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militi ...

in Vermont, and was the state organization's first finance officer. Following his discharge from the Army, Chase joined the Vermont National Guard's 43rd Infantry Division. He was promoted to

sergeant Sergeant (abbreviated to Sgt. and capitalized when used as a named person's title) is a rank in many uniformed organizations, principally military and policing forces. The alternative spelling, ''serjeant'', is used in The Rifles and other uni ...

, and served until being discharged in 1923.

Interwar career

After the war, Chase studied law with his father and brother. In January 1921, he was appointed assistant secretary of the

Vermont Senate The Vermont Senate is the upper house of the Vermont General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Vermont. The senate consists of 30 members. Senate districting divides the 30 members into three single-member districts, six two-m ...

, and in March, he was elected Brattleboro's grand juror (prosecutor in the municipal court). Chase was admitted to the bar in 1922, and practiced as a member of his father's firm. In February 1925, Chase was appointed as Vermont's Commissioner of Taxes. He served until July 1925, when he resigned in order to accept appointment as special assistant to

John G. Sargent John Garibaldi Sargent (October 13, 1860March 5, 1939) was an American lawyer and government official. He served as United States Attorney General during the administration of President Calvin Coolidge. Biography John G. Sargent was born in Lu ...

during Sargent's term as

. After Sargent left office at the end of

Calvin Coolidge Calvin Coolidge (born John Calvin Coolidge Jr.; ; July 4, 1872January 5, 1933) was the 30th president of the United States from 1923 to 1929. Born in Vermont, Coolidge was a History of the Republican Party (United States), Republican lawyer ...

's presidency in 1929, Chase remained on the staff of Sargent's successor

William D. Mitchell William DeWitt Mitchell (September 9, 1874August 24, 1955) was an American attorney who had served as both Solicitor General of the United States under President Calvin Coolidge and United States Attorney General under President Herbert Hoover. ...

in order to facilitate the transition between Sargent and Mitchell. In July 1930, Chase joined the Ludlow law firm of Sargent and William W. Stickney. He also joined the board of directors of the Ludlow Savings Bank and Trust Company, and later served as the bank's president. In 1934, Chase returned to the National Guard and was commissioned as a

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

Infantry Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and marine i ...

. In 1938, he transferred his military membership to the

Organized Reserve Corps The United States Army Reserve (USAR) is a reserve force of the United States Army. Together, the Army Reserve and the Army National Guard constitute the Army element of the reserve components of the United States Armed Forces. Since July 2020, ...

, and he was commissioned as a captain in the Judge Advocate General Corps.

World War II

During

, Chase was activated as a member of the 43rd Infantry Division staff, and took part in the unit's training at

Camp Blanding Camp Blanding Joint Training Center is the primary military reservation and training base for the Florida National Guard, both the Florida Army National Guard and certain nonflying activities of the Florida Air National Guard. The installation is ...

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

, Camp Shelby,

Mississippi Mississippi () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States, bordered to the north by Tennessee; to the east by Alabama; to the south by the Gulf of Mexico; to the southwest by Louisiana; and to the northwest by Arkansas. Miss ...

, and in

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

. Assigned as the division's judge advocate, he was promoted to

lieutenant colonel Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colone ...

, and he served in the occupation of

New Caledonia ) , anthem = "" , image_map = New Caledonia on the globe (small islands magnified) (Polynesia centered).svg , map_alt = Location of New Caledonia , map_caption = Location of New Caledonia , mapsize = 290px , subdivision_type = Sovereign st ...

. When the 43rd Division moved on to occupy

Guadalcanal Guadalcanal (; indigenous name: ''Isatabu'') is the principal island in Guadalcanal Province of Solomon Islands, located in the south-western Pacific, northeast of Australia. It is the largest island in the Solomon Islands by area, and the seco ...

and the Russell Islands, Chase was assigned to serve as judge advocate for all forces on New Caledonia, and he was promoted to

colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...

in June 1943. In April 1944, Chase was assigned as judge advocate for the

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

-based 1st Service Command, the

Army Service Forces The Army Service Forces was one of the three autonomous components of the United States Army during World War II, the others being the Army Air Forces and Army Ground Forces, created on 9 March 1942. By dividing the Army into three large comman ...

unit that oversaw wartime personnel and logistics management for the

New England New England is a region comprising six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York to the west and by the Canadian provinces ...

Region. In May 1945, Chase was appointed to a two-year term as professor of military science and tactics at

Norwich University Norwich University – The Military College of Vermont is a private senior military college in Northfield, Vermont. It is the oldest private and senior military college in the United States and offers bachelor's and master's degrees on-campus ...

. In May 1947, Chase was appointed to the military staff of Governor

Ernest W. Gibson Jr. Ernest William Gibson Jr. (March 6, 1901 – November 4, 1969) was an American attorney, politician, and judge. He served briefly as an appointed United States Senator, as the 67th governor of Vermont, and as a federal judge. Born in Brattlebo ...

with the rank of colonel, and he served until becoming a judge in 1948.

Post-war political and judicial service

In 1945, Chase was elected president of the Vermont Bar Association, and he completed the one-year term left vacant by the death of

Leonard F. Wing Leonard Fish Wing Sr. (November 12, 1893 – December 19, 1945), nicknamed "Red", was a Vermont political figure and a division commander in the United States Army during World War II. Early life Leonard Wing was born in Ira, Vermont on November ...

. In January 1946 he was elected to the board of trustees of the Vermont Soldiers Home. In November 1946 Chase was the successful Republican nominee to represent Ludlow in the

. Chase was serving in the legislature in April 1947 and was chairman of the House Judiciary Committee when he was appointed to the Vermont Public Service Commission. He was selected to serve as the commission's chairman, and held the post until September 1948, when he was appointed a judge on the

. He advanced through seniority to become the chief judge in 1952, and served on the court until 1953. In June 1953, Associate Justice Stephen S. Cushing resigned from the

. Chase was appointed to the vacancy, in keeping with Vermont's tradition of promoting the chief judge of the Superior Court. In June 1956, news accounts indicated that Case and his wife were in ill health, and had gone to

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

to recuperate. Chase had not informed the

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 ...

or the chief justice of his location or the reasons for his absence, and the court's caseload backed up because Chase did not complete or submit the opinions assigned to him to author. As a result of Chase's absence, Chief Justice Olin M. Jeffords requested his resignation. Chase was initially resistant, and said he intended to return to work and seek appointment to a new two-year term in 1957. He later changed his mind, and he submitted his resignation in August 1956. He was succeeded on the court by James Stuart Holden.

Awards

In 1953, Chase received the

honorary degree An honorary degree is an academic degree for which a university (or other degree-awarding institution) has waived all of the usual requirements. It is also known by the Latin phrases ''honoris causa'' ("for the sake of the honour") or ''ad hono ...

Master of Arts A Master of Arts ( la, Magister Artium or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA, M.A., AM, or A.M.) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Tho ...

from

Retirement and death

In retirement, Chase was a resident of Newfane. He died at the hospital in Townshend on July 31, 1963, and was buried at Morningside Cemetery in Brattleboro.

Family

In 1926, Chase married Doris Eleanor Dexter of

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

. They were the parents of a son, Charles Dexter Chase (1927-1999).

References

Sources

Newspapers

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Internet

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Books

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External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Chase, Paul A. 1895 births 1963 deaths People from Whitingham, Vermont People from Brattleboro, Vermont People from Ludlow (town), Vermont People from Newfane, Vermont Vermont lawyers U.S. state supreme court judges admitted to the practice of law by reading law Republican Party members of the Vermont House of Representatives Justices of the Vermont Supreme Court United States Army personnel of World War I United States Army personnel of World War II National Guard (United States) officers Norwich University faculty Burials in Vermont Vermont National Guard personnel 20th-century American politicians 20th-century American judges 20th-century American lawyers