Edward Ridley Finch (November 15, 1873 – September 16, 1965) was an American lawyer and

politician A politician is a person who participates in Public policy, policy-making processes, usually holding an elective position in government. Politicians represent the people, make decisions, and influence the formulation of public policy. The roles ...

Early life

His father was Edward Lucius and his mother was Anne Crane (née Ridley). He was a descendant of Abraham Finch, a native of

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

, who came to America with John Withrop's company in 1630 and settled in Massachusetts.Edward Ridley Finch
''nycourts.gov.'' He graduated from

Yale College Yale College is the undergraduate college of Yale University. Founded in 1701, it is the original school of the university. Although other Yale schools were founded as early as 1810, all of Yale was officially known as Yale College until 1887, ...

in 1895, and from

Columbia University School of Law Columbia Law School (CLS) is the law school of Columbia University, a private Ivy League university in New York City. The school was founded in 1858 as the Columbia College Law School. The university is known for its legal scholarship dating ba ...

in 1898.

Political career

He was a Republican member of the

New York State Assembly The New York State Assembly is the lower house of the New York State Legislature, with the New York State Senate being the upper house. There are 150 seats in the Assembly. Assembly members serve two-year terms without term limits. The Ass ...

(New York Co., 5th D.) in

1902 Events January * January 1 ** The Nurses Registration Act 1901 comes into effect in New Zealand, making it the first country in the world to require state registration of nurses. On January 10, Ellen Dougherty becomes the world's ...

1903 Events January * January 1 – Edward VII is proclaimed Emperor of India. * January 10 – The Aceh Sultanate was fully annexed by the Dutch forces, deposing the last sultan, marking the end of the Aceh War that have lasted for al ...

and

1904 Events January * January 7 – The distress signal ''CQD'' is established, only to be replaced 2 years later by ''SOS''. * January 8 – The Blackstone Library is dedicated, marking the beginning of the Chicago Public Library system. * ...

. In 1911 he helped found

The New York Young Republican Club The New York Young Republican Club (NYYRC) is an organization for members of the Republican Party between the ages of 18 and 40 in Manhattan. The New York Young Republican Club is the oldest and largest chapter in the United States, founded in 1 ...

Lawyer

On August 20, 1915, he was appointed by Governor

Charles S. Whitman Charles Seymour Whitman (September 29, 1868March 29, 1947) was an American lawyer who served as the 41st governor of New York from January 1, 1915, to December 31, 1918. An attorney and politician, he also served as a delegate from New York to th ...

a justice of the

New York Supreme Court The Supreme Court of the State of New York is the superior court in the Judiciary of New York. It is vested with unlimited civil and criminal jurisdiction, although in many counties outside New York City it acts primarily as a court of civil ju ...

to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Justice Delany, and was re-elected in 1915 and 1929. From 1922 on, he sat on the Appellate Division, First Dept., and in April 1931 was appointed Presiding Judge. In

1934 Events January–February * January 1 – The International Telecommunication Union, a specialist agency of the League of Nations, is established. * January 15 – The 8.0 1934 Nepal–Bihar earthquake, Nepal–Bihar earthquake strik ...

, he ran on the Democratic ticket for the

New York Court of Appeals The New York Court of Appeals is the supreme court, highest court in the Judiciary of New York (state), Unified Court System of the New York (state), State of New York. It consists of seven judges: the Chief Judge of the New York Court of Appeal ...

, and was elected to a fourteen-year term, but resigned on April 30, 1943, to resume his private law practice.

Thomas D. Thacher Thomas Day Thacher (September 10, 1881 – November 12, 1950) was a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, the 21st Solicitor General of the United States and a Judge of the New Y ...

was appointed to fill the vacancy temporarily.

Family

Finch's grandson and namesake, Edward Finch Cox, is the son-in-law of former

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: Arts and entertainment Film and television *'' Præsident ...

Richard Nixon Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913April 22, 1994) was the 37th president of the United States, serving from 1969 until Resignation of Richard Nixon, his resignation in 1974. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican ...

and former First Lady

Pat Nixon Thelma Catherine "Pat" Nixon (; March 16, 1912 – June 22, 1993) was First Lady of the United States from 1969 to 1974 as the wife of President Richard Nixon. She also served as the Second ladies and gentlemen of the United States, second lady ...

and current chairman of the

New York Republican State Committee The New York Republican State Committee, established in 1855, is the New York (state), New York State affiliate of the Republican Party (United States), United States Republican Party (GOP). The party has headquarters in Albany, New York, Albany ...

References

External links

''The History of the New York Court of Appeals, 1932-2003''
by Bernard S. Meyer, Burton C. Agata & Seth H. Agata (page 20) *
''JUSTICE FINCH''
in NYT on August 21, 1915
''E. R. FINCH SWORN IN''
in NYT on August 22, 1915

in NYT on February 28, 1943 (subscription required)

in NYT on May 13, 1943 (subscription required)

in NYT on September 16, 1965 (subscription required) {{DEFAULTSORT:Finch, Edward Ridley Judges of the New York Court of Appeals 1873 births 1965 deaths American people of English descent Yale College alumni Columbia Law School alumni New York (state) Republicans New York (state) Democrats Presiding justices of the New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division, First Department