William Marcellus Howard (December 6, 1857 – July 5, 1932) was a noted jurist and

politician A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking ...

from the American state of

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...

Life

Howard was born in

Berwick, Louisiana Berwick is a town in St. Mary Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 4,946 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Morgan City Micropolitan Statistical Area. Jenny Craig, weight loss guru and founder of Jenny Craig, Inc., is orig ...

and moved to Georgia with his family while in his youth. He attended the Martin Institute in

Jefferson, Georgia Jefferson is a city in Jackson County, Georgia, United States. The population was 9,432 at the 2010 census, up from 3,825 at the 2000 census. As of 2019 the estimated population was 12,032. The city is the county seat of Jackson County. History ...

, and graduated from the

University of Georgia , mottoeng = "To teach, to serve, and to inquire into the nature of things.""To serve" was later added to the motto without changing the seal; the Latin motto directly translates as "To teach and to inquire into the nature of things." , establ ...

Athens Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates ...

with a Bachelor of Philosophy in 1877. After admission to the state bar in 1880, Howard practised law in

Lexington, Georgia The city of Lexington is the county seat of Oglethorpe County, Georgia, United States. The population was 239 at the 2000 census. Lexington is home to Shaking Rock Park. History Lexington was founded in 1800. That same year, the seat of Ogleth ...

. He was elected as the solicitor general of Georgia's northern circuit and served in that capacity from 1884 until 1896 when he successfully ran for the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

. He was re-elected to this office six times (1898, 1900, 1902, 1904, 1906 and 1908) before losing the nomination for the 1910 election. During his last few terms in the U.S. House and for several years after leaving that body, Howard served on the Board of Regents of the

Smithsonian Institution The Smithsonian Institution ( ), or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums and education and research centers, the largest such complex in the world, created by the U.S. government "for the increase and diffusion of knowledge". Founded ...

(1905 through 1912) and was a trustee of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university * President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...

Howard Taft William Howard Taft (September 15, 1857March 8, 1930) was the 27th president of the United States (1909–1913) and the tenth chief justice of the United States (1921–1930), the only person to have held both offices. Taft was elected pre ...

appointed Howard to the United States Tariff Board in 1911 and he served in that capacity until 1913. At that time, Howard moved to

Augusta, Georgia Augusta ( ), officially Augusta–Richmond County, is a consolidated city-county on the central eastern border of the U.S. state of Georgia. The city lies across the Savannah River from South Carolina at the head of its navigable portion. Georgi ...

. Howard was appointed to appeal

Leo Frank Leo Max Frank (April 17, 1884August 17, 1915) was an American factory superintendent who was convicted in 1913 of the murder of a 13-year-old employee, Mary Phagan, in Atlanta, Georgia. His trial, conviction, and appeals attracted national at ...

's death sentence after Frank was convicted in the murder of

Mary Phagan Leo Max Frank (April 17, 1884August 17, 1915) was an American factory superintendent who was convicted in 1913 of the murder of a 13-year-old employee, Mary Phagan, in Atlanta, Georgia. His trial, conviction, and appeals attracted national at ...

in 1915. Howard cited flaws in the prosecution's case, including discrepancies in testimony and mishandling of the investigation by Atlanta police, to successfully convince Georgia Gov. John M. Slaton to commute Frank's death sentence to life in prison. Howard died in Augusta, Georgia in 1932 and was buried in Clarke Cemetery in Lexington.

References

''History of the University of Georgia'', Thomas Walter Reed, Imprint: Athens, Georgia : University of Georgia, ca. 1949 p.1023 Kirby, Bill. (2010, May 15). ''A lawyer you want on your side''. The Augusta Chronicle
1857 births 1932 deaths People from Berwick, Louisiana Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Georgia (U.S. state) Georgia (U.S. state) lawyers Georgia (U.S. state) state court judges Smithsonian Institution people University of Georgia alumni People from Jefferson, Georgia People from Lexington, Georgia {{GeorgiaUS-state-judge-stub