Lawrence McCully Judd (March 20, 1887 – October 4, 1968) was a politician of the Territory of Hawaii, serving as the seventh Territorial Governor. Judd is most well-known for his role in the Massie Affair, in which he commuted the sentence of three people convicted of manslaughter in the killing of Josef Kahahawai.

Life

Judd was born March 20, 1887, in Honolulu, Hawaii, the grandson of

Gerrit P. Judd Gerrit Parmele Judd (April 23, 1803 – July 12, 1873) was an American physician and missionary to the Kingdom of Hawaii who later renounced his American citizenship and became a trusted advisor and cabinet minister to King Kamehameha III. He ...

, who was an early American Missionary, a cabinet minister to King

Kamehameha III Kamehameha III (born Kauikeaouli) (March 17, 1814 – December 15, 1854) was the third king of the Kingdom of Hawaii from 1825 to 1854. His full Hawaiian name is Keaweaweula Kīwalaō Kauikeaouli Kaleiopapa and then lengthened to Keaweaweula K� ...

, and co-founder of

Punahou School Punahou School (known as Oahu College until 1934) is a private, co-educational, college preparatory school in Honolulu, Hawaii. More than 3,700 students attend the school from kindergarten through twelfth grade, 12th grade. Protestant missionar ...

. His father was Judge

Albert Francis Judd Albert Francis Judd (January 7, 1838 – May 20, 1900) was a judge of the Kingdom of Hawaii who served as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court through its transition into part of the United States. Life Judd was born January 7, 1838, at what was ...

(1838–1900) and mother was Agnes Hall Boyd (1844–1934). He was the last of nine children. He was married March 6, 1909, at

Richmond Hill, New York Richmond Hill is a commercial and residential neighborhood located in the southwestern section of the New York City borough of Queens. The area borders Kew Gardens and Forest Park to the north, Jamaica and South Jamaica to the east, South Ozone P ...

, to Florence Bell Hackett (1885–1974) and had five children: Helen Florence (1909-?), Agnes Elizabeth (1912-?), Sophie Janet (1913–?), Lawrence McCully Jr. (1917–?) and Emilie Bell (1920–?). Judd married his second wife, Eva Marie Lillibridge (1913–2002) in 1938. Judd attended the Punahou School, The Hotchkiss School, and the University of Pennsylvania, where he was a member of its

fraternity A fraternity (from Latin language, Latin ''wiktionary:frater, frater'': "brother (Christian), brother"; whence, "wiktionary:brotherhood, brotherhood") or fraternal organization is an organization, society, club (organization), club or fraternal ...

chapter of Phi Kappa Psi.

Career

Judd made several fact-finding tours during his tenure in the Hawaii Territorial Senate 1920–1927.

Governor of HawaiI

Herbert Hoover appointed Judd to succeed Wallace Rider Farrington as Governor of Hawaii Territory from 1929 to 1934. As territorial governor, he overhauled the system of governance in the colony. A source of controversy during his tenure, Judd commuted the sentence of

Grace Hubbard Fortescue Grace Hubbard Fortescue, (''née'' Bell) (November 3, 1883 – June 24, 1979), was a New York City socialite who murdered a man, later proven innocent, who was accused of raping her daughter. After being convicted of manslaughter at a sensatio ...

, socialite and niece of

Alexander Graham Bell Alexander Graham Bell (, born Alexander Bell; March 3, 1847 – August 2, 1922) was a Scottish-born inventor, scientist and engineer who is credited with patenting the first practical telephone. He also co-founded the American Telephone and Te ...

, convicted in the territorial courts of manslaughter in the death of a local man,

Joseph Kahahawai Joseph "Joe" Kahahawai Jr. (25 December 1909 – 8 January 1932) was a Native Hawaiian prizefighter accused of the rape of Thalia Massie. He was abducted and killed after an inconclusive court case ended with a hung jury mistrial. Early life Kaha ...

. Hiring defense lawyer Clarence Darrow, Fortescue's case was known as the Massie Affair, a focus of nationwide newspaper coverage. Massie's sentence of ten years in prison was whittled down to one hour in the governor's chambers at Iolani Palace. The affair was the subject of a 2005 episode of the PBS series ''

The American Experience ''American Experience'' is a television program airing on the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) in the United States. The program airs documentaries, many of which have won awards, about important or interesting events and people in American his ...

'', which included archival footage of Judd.

Resident superintendent

Judd became Kalaupapa's resident superintendent in 1947. Judd's service running Kalaupapa was a subject in the 2003 historical novel and national bestseller called ''Moloka'i'' by

Alan Brennert Alan Brennert (born May 30, 1954 in Englewood, New Jersey) is an American author, television producer, and screenwriter. Brennert has lived in Southern California since 1973 and completed graduate work in screenwriting at the University of Cali ...

as well as the historical account, ''The Colony: The Harrowing True Story of the Exiles of Molokai'' by John Tayman.

Samoa and retirement

On 4 March 1953, President Dwight D. Eisenhower appointed Judd

Governor of American Samoa This is a list of governors, etc. of the part of the Samoan Islands (now comprising American Samoa) under United States administration since 1900. From 1900 to 1978 governors were appointed by the Federal government of the United States. Since ...

on a temporary basis. He served only five months. Judd died on October 4, 1968, in Honolulu and was interred in the city's Oahu Cemetery in Nuuanu Valley.

References

External links

Descendants of Thomas Hastings website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Judd, Lawrence McCully 1887 births 1968 deaths Members of the Hawaii Territorial Legislature Governors of American Samoa Governors of the Territory of Hawaii Punahou School alumni Hotchkiss School alumni University of Pennsylvania alumni Hawaii Republicans American Samoa Republicans 20th-century American politicians Burials at Oahu Cemetery Judd family