Thomas Allen McBride (November 15, 1847 – September 9, 1930) was an American attorney and judge in

Oregon Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...

. He was the 20th Chief Justice on the

Oregon Supreme Court The Oregon Supreme Court (OSC) is the highest state court in the U.S. state of Oregon. The only court that may reverse or modify a decision of the Oregon Supreme Court is the Supreme Court of the United States.Oregon Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...

’s highest court from 1909 till his death in 1930.

Early life

McBride was born on November 15, 1847, in

Yamhill County, Oregon Yamhill County is one of the Oregon counties, 36 counties in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 107,722. The county seat is McMinnville, Oregon, McMinnville. Yamhill County was named af ...

, near

Lafayette, Oregon Lafayette is a city in Yamhill County, Oregon, United States on the Yamhill River and Oregon Route 99W. It was founded in 1846 and incorporated in 1878. The population was 3,742 at the 2010 census. History Lafayette was founded in 1846 by pione ...

.Corning, Howard M. Dictionary of Oregon History. Binfords & Mort Publishing, 1956. He was one of fourteen children Doctor James McBride and his wife Mahala Miller had together. One of Thomas’ younger brothers

George W. McBride George Wycliffe McBride (March 13, 1854June 18, 1911) was an American politician and businessman from the U.S. state of Oregon. An Oregon native, he served in the Oregon Legislative Assembly as Speaker of the House and as Oregon Secretary of St ...

served as a

United States senator The United States Senate is the Upper house, upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States House of Representatives, House of Representatives being the Lower house, lower chamber. Together they compose the national Bica ...

, while an older brother

John R. McBride John Rogers McBride (August 22, 1832 – July 20, 1904) was an American lawyer and politician who served one term as a Republican Party (United States), Republican United States Congress, U.S. congressman from Oregon from 1863 to 1865. Earl ...

served in the house and as

Idaho Idaho ( ) is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. To the north, it shares a small portion of the Canada–United States border with the province of British Columbia. It borders the states of Montana and Wyom ...

’s territorial chief justice. Thomas attended school in

Vancouver, Washington Vancouver is a city on the north bank of the Columbia River in the U.S. state of Washington, located in Clark County. Incorporated in 1857, Vancouver has a population of 190,915 as of the 2020 census, making it the fourth-largest city in Was ...

, where he also

read law Reading law was the method used in common law countries, particularly the United States, for people to prepare for and enter the legal profession before the advent of law schools. It consisted of an extended internship or apprenticeship under the ...

, and then spent some time at what is now

Linfield College Linfield University is a private university with campuses in McMinnville, and Portland, Oregon. Linfield Wildcats athletics participates in the NCAA Division III Northwest Conference. Linfield reported a combined 1,755 students after the fall ...

. He was then admitted to the bar on October 6, 1870. Thomas then practiced law in Lafayette,

Oregon City ) , image_skyline = McLoughlin House.jpg , imagesize = , image_caption = The McLoughlin House, est. 1845 , image_flag = , image_seal = Oregon City seal.png , image_map ...

, and then St. Helens from 1872 to 1877.Colmer, Montagu, and

Charles Erskine Scott Wood Charles Erskine Scott Wood or C.E.S. Wood (February 20, 1852January 22, 1944) was an American author, civil liberties advocate, artist, soldier, attorney, and Georgist. He is best known as the author of the 1927 satirical bestseller, ''Heavenly D ...

. ''History of the Bench and Bar of Oregon''. Portland, Or: Historical Pub. Co, 1910. p. 176. In 1876, he was elected to the

Oregon House of Representatives The Oregon House of Representatives is the lower house of the Oregon Legislative Assembly. There are 60 members of the House, representing 60 districts across the state, each with a population of 65,000. The House meets in the west wing of the ...

as a Republican from Columbia County. In 1877, he moved to

Salt Lake City, Utah Salt Lake City (often shortened to Salt Lake and abbreviated as SLC) is the Capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Utah, most populous city of Utah, United States. It is the county seat, seat of Salt Lake County, Utah, Sal ...

, where he lived until 1880. He then returned to Oregon and practiced at Oregon City before becoming the district attorney (DA) for

Clatsop County Clatsop County is one of the 36 counties in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2020 census, the population was 41,072. The county seat is Astoria. The county is named for the Clatsop tribe of Native Americans, who lived along the coast of ...

.Clatsop County District Court Judges.
Oregon Judicial Department. Retrieved on January 20, 2008. He served as the DA until 1892.

Judicial career

In 1892, McBride became Clatsop County Circuit Court judge, serving until 1909. While serving on the court he sentenced two people to death by hanging, including the first legal hanging in

Clatsop County, Oregon Clatsop County is one of the 36 counties in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2020 census, the population was 41,072. The county seat is Astoria. The county is named for the Clatsop tribe of Native Americans, who lived along the coast of ...

, on December 1, 1893. On May 1, 1909,

Oregon Governor The governor of Oregon is the head of government of Oregon and serves as the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces. The title of governor was also applied to the office of Oregon's chief executive during the provisional and U.S. ter ...

Frank W. Benson appointed McBride to the state supreme court to fill the vacancy created when justice

Robert S. Bean Robert Sharp Bean (November 28, 1854 – January 7, 1931) was the 16th Chief Justice of the Oregon Supreme Court, serving as Chief Justice three different times. He later served as a United States district judge of the United States District Cour ...

resigned.Oregon State Archives: Governor's Records Guides.
Oregon Secretary of State. Retrieved on January 20, 2008.Oregon Blue Book: Earliest Authorities in Oregon - Supreme Court Justices of Oregon.
Oregon Secretary of State. Retrieved on January 20, 2008. McBride then won a full six year-term in the 1914 election. He was re-elected in 1920 and again in 1926. During his time on the bench he was chief justice of the court from 1913 to 1915, 1917 to 1921, and then from 1923 to 1927. Justice Thomas McBride died in office on September 9, 1930.

Family

McBride first married on February 7, 1874, to Mary E. Merrill of

Columbia County, Oregon Columbia County is one of the 36 counties in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2020 census, the population was 52,589. The county seat is St. Helens. History The Chinook and Clatskanie Native American peoples inhabited this region for c ...

. They had two children together. Then in 1927 he married Lottie May Chappell.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:McBride, Thomas A. 1847 births 1930 deaths Linfield University alumni Oregon state court judges Republican Party members of the Oregon House of Representatives Chief Justices of the Oregon Supreme Court People from Lafayette, Oregon People from St. Helens, Oregon District attorneys in Oregon Politicians from Vancouver, Washington U.S. state supreme court judges admitted to the practice of law by reading law Justices of the Oregon Supreme Court