Hampton Lawrence Carson (February 21, 1852July 18, 1929) was an influential Pennsylvania lawyer, legal scholar and historian. In addition to his private practice, he served as professor of law at the

University of Pennsylvania The University of Pennsylvania (also known as Penn or UPenn) is a private research university in Philadelphia. It is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and is ranked among the highest-regarded universitie ...

, state Attorney General, president of the

American Bar Association The American Bar Association (ABA) is a voluntary bar association of lawyers and law students, which is not specific to any jurisdiction in the United States. Founded in 1878, the ABA's most important stated activities are the setting of aca ...

, and president of the

Historical Society of Pennsylvania The Historical Society of Pennsylvania is a long-established research facility, based in Philadelphia. It is a repository for millions of historic items ranging across rare books, scholarly monographs, family chronicles, maps, press reports and v ...

. Carson argued numerous cases before the Supreme Courts of Pennsylvania and the United States. Noted cases included arguing (unsuccessfully) '' Lone Wolf v. Hitchcock'' and offering for probate the

William Weightman William Weightman (September 30, 1813 – August 25, 1904) was a chemical manufacturer and one of the largest landowners in the United States. Nicknamed the "Quinine King," he created a synthetic form of the drug. His company, Powers & Weightman ...

will. Carson was also noted for his extensive collection of legal papers, books, documents, and portraits.

Biography

Carson was born on February 21, 1852, in Philadelphia to Dr. Joseph Carson and Mary Hollingsworth. His father was a professor in medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, whose grandfather had emigrated to Philadelphia in the 1740s. Carson's mother, born Mary Hollingsworth, was a descendant of Henry Hollingsworth, deputy surveyor for

William Penn William Penn ( – ) was an English writer and religious thinker belonging to the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), and founder of the Province of Pennsylvania, a North American colony of England. He was an early advocate of democracy a ...

. Carson was graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 1871, and its law school in 1874. He taught at the University of Pennsylvania from 1895 to 1903 and then entered private practice. He was a partner in several firms and specialized in estate law. He edited the ''Legal Gazette''. He was a professor with the Penn Law School, 1895–1901. He was appointed state attorney general in 1903 by Governor Samuel Pennypacker and served until 1907. He served as president of the

from 1919 to 1921 and as chairman of the sub-committee of the Pennsylvania Commission on Constitutional Amendment and Revision. He served as president of the

from 1921 until his death in 1929.

Personal life

Carson married Anna Lee Baker in 1880 and together they had 5 children. One son, Joseph, became a lawyer and practiced law with his father. He was elected as a member to the

American Philosophical Society The American Philosophical Society (APS), founded in 1743 in Philadelphia, is a scholarly organization that promotes knowledge in the sciences and humanities through research, professional meetings, publications, library resources, and communit ...

in that same year. He is buried in Section J, Lot 217 at

Laurel Hill Cemetery Laurel Hill Cemetery is a historic rural cemetery in the East Falls neighborhood of Philadelphia. Founded in 1836, it was the second major rural cemetery in the United States after Mount Auburn Cemetery in Boston, Massachusetts. The cemetery is ...

in Philadelphia.

Bibliography

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References

External links

Grave

The Historical Society of Pennsylvania – Hampton L. Carson (1852–1929) Papers

Online books by Hampton L. Carson
{{DEFAULTSORT:Carson, Hampton Lawrence 1852 births 1929 deaths 19th-century American lawyers 19th-century American male writers 20th-century American lawyers 20th-century American male writers Burials at Laurel Hill Cemetery (Philadelphia) Lawyers from Philadelphia Members of the American Philosophical Society Pennsylvania Attorneys General Pennsylvania Republicans Presidents of the American Bar Association University of Pennsylvania Law School alumni

Biography

Personal life

Bibliography

References

Further reading

External links