Samuel Howard Blackmer (March 2, 1902 – December 25, 1951) was a Vermont attorney, politician, and judge. He was appointed as an associate justice of the Vermont Supreme Court in 1949, and served until his death.

Early life

Blackmer was born in Bennington, Vermont on March 2, 1902, the son of Samuel Huling Blackmer and Fanny (Abbott) Blackmer. He attended the schools of Bennington, and in 1920 he graduated from the

Hotchkiss School The Hotchkiss School is a coeducational University-preparatory school#North America, preparatory school in Lakeville, Connecticut, United States. Hotchkiss is a member of the Eight Schools Association and Ten Schools Admissions Organization. It i ...

in Lakeville, Connecticut. He graduated from Yale University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1924, and was a member of Zeta Psi and Delta Sigma Rho. In 1927, Blackmer received his LL.B. degree from

Harvard Law School Harvard Law School (Harvard Law or HLS) is the law school of Harvard University, a private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest continuously operating law school in the United States. Each class ...

, where he was a member of the

Lincoln's Inn Society Lincoln's Inn Society was the only social club based at Harvard Law School, in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Its name echoed Lincoln's Inn in London, which is one of the four Inns of Court where English barristers are based. Originally, Lincoln's ...

. He was admitted to the bar in 1927, and practiced in Bennington as the partner of Judge William J. Meagher, who had married Fanny Blackmer after the 1911 death of Samuel Huling Blackmer.

Early career

A Republican, Blackmer served as an Old Bennington village trustee from 1927 to 1938. He served as a

justice of the peace A justice of the peace (JP) is a judicial officer of a lower or ''puisne'' court, elected or appointed by means of a commission ( letters patent) to keep the peace. In past centuries the term commissioner of the peace was often used with the sa ...

from 1929 to 1938, and was Bennington's municipal court judge from 1929 to 1932. from 1933 to 1935 he represented Bennington in 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 ...

. He served as

State's Attorney In the United States, a district attorney (DA), county attorney, state's attorney, prosecuting attorney, commonwealth's attorney, or state attorney is the chief prosecutor and/or chief law enforcement officer representing a U.S. state in a loc ...

of Bennington County from 1935 to 1937. During the governorship of George Aiken, Blackmer served as his executive clerk from 1937 to 1938.

Judicial career

In 1938, Aiken appointed Blackmer a 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 ...

. He rose through seniority to become the court's chief judge, and served until 1949. In April 1949, Blackmer was named as an associate justice of the Vermont Supreme Court, filling the vacancy created when

John C. Sherburne John C. Sherburne (August 31, 1883 – June 30, 1959) was a Vermont attorney and judge. His career was most notable for his service as an associate justice of the Vermont Supreme Court from 1934 to 1949, and the court's Chief Justice from 1949 to ...

was promoted to chief justice. Blackmer served on the Supreme Court until his death, and was succeeded by

Stephen S. Cushing Stephen S. Cushing (March 20, 1884 – September 23, 1957) was a Vermont attorney, businessman, judge, and politician. He was a veteran of World War I, and his most notable government service was as an associate justice of the Vermont Supreme Cour ...

Death and burial

Blackmer died unexpectedly of a heart attack in Bennington on December 25, 1951. He was buried at Old Bennington Cemetery.

Family

On July 20, 1925, Blackmer married Katrina Roosevelt Schuyler, the daughter of Marie Louise (Nelson) Schuyler (b. 1865) and the Reverend Philip Schuyler (1861-1942), a member of

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

's prominent

Schuyler family The Schuyler family ( /ˈskaɪlər/; Dutch pronunciation: xœylər was a prominent Dutch family in New York and New Jersey in the 18th and 19th centuries, whose descendants played a critical role in the formation of the United States (especiall ...

. They were the parents of a daughter, Patricia Ann (1927-1998).

Legacy

The Samuel H. Blackmer Memorial Library was incorporated in August 1952. It was established in the Bennington County Courthouse, and included the books from Blackmer's personal law library, as well as an endowment from his family.

References

Sources

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External links

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Samuel Howard Blackmer
at The Political Graveyard {{DEFAULTSORT:Blackmer, Samuel H. 1902 births 1951 deaths People from Bennington, Vermont Hotchkiss School alumni Yale University alumni Harvard Law School alumni Vermont lawyers Republican Party members of the Vermont House of Representatives State's attorneys in Vermont Justices of the Vermont Supreme Court Burials in Vermont 20th-century American legislators 20th-century American judges 20th-century American lawyers