John Simson Woolson (December 6, 1840 – December 4, 1899) was a
United States district judge
The United States district courts are the trial courts of the U.S. federal judiciary. There is one district court for each federal judicial district. Each district covers one U.S. state or a portion of a state. There is at least one feder ...
of the
United States District Court for the Southern District of Iowa
The United States District Court for the Southern District of Iowa (in case citations, S.D. Iowa) has jurisdiction over forty-seven of Iowa's ninety-nine counties. It is subject to the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals (except for patent claims an ...
.
Education and career
Born in
Tonawanda,
New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
New York may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* ...
, Woolson received an
Artium Baccalaureus degree in 1860 and an
Artium Magister
A Master of Arts ( or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA or AM) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Those admitted to the degree have ...
degree in 1863 from
Wesleyan University
Wesleyan University ( ) is a Private university, private liberal arts college, liberal arts university in Middletown, Connecticut, United States. It was founded in 1831 as a Men's colleges in the United States, men's college under the Methodi ...
. Interrupting his legal education to serve in the
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...
, he was an assistant paymaster in the
United States Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...
from 1862 to 1865 aboard the USS Housatonic (sunk by the submarine torpedo,
H.L. Hunley) and the USS Monadnock. Following the war, he relocated to
Iowa
Iowa ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the upper Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west; Wisconsin to the northeast, Ill ...
, where he
read law
Reading law was the primary 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 un ...
to enter the bar in 1866. He was in private practice in
Mt. Pleasant, Iowa from 1866 to 1891. While in practice, he served as a member of the
Iowa Senate
The Iowa Senate is the upper house of the Iowa General Assembly. There are 50 seats in the Iowa Senate, representing 50 single-member districts across the Iowa, state of Iowa with populations of approximately 60,927 per constituency, . Each Senat ...
from 1876 to 1881, and from 1885 to 1891.
Federal judicial service
Woolson received a
recess appointment
In the United States, a recess appointment is an appointment by the President of the United States, president of a Officer of the United States, federal official when the United States Senate, U.S. Senate is in Recess (motion), recess. Under the ...
from President
Benjamin Harrison
Benjamin Harrison (August 20, 1833March 13, 1901) was the 23rd president of the United States, serving from 1889 to 1893. He was a member of the Harrison family of Virginia—a grandson of the ninth president, William Henry Harrison, and a ...
on August 14, 1891, to a seat on the
United States District Court for the Southern District of Iowa
The United States District Court for the Southern District of Iowa (in case citations, S.D. Iowa) has jurisdiction over forty-seven of Iowa's ninety-nine counties. It is subject to the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals (except for patent claims an ...
vacated by Judge
James M. Love. He was nominated to the same position by President Harrison on December 10, 1891. He was confirmed by the
United States Senate
The United States Senate is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the upper house, with the United States House of Representatives, U.S. House of Representatives being the lower house. Together, the Senate and ...
on January 11, 1892, and received his commission the same day. His service terminated on December 4, 1899, due to his death in
Des Moines
Des Moines is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities in Iowa, most populous city in the U.S. state of Iowa. It is the county seat of Polk County, Iowa, Polk County with parts extending into Warren County, Iowa, Wa ...
, Iowa.
References
Sources
*
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Woolson, John Simson
1840 births
1899 deaths
Wesleyan University alumni
Republican Party Iowa state senators
Judges of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Iowa
United States federal judges appointed by Benjamin Harrison
People from Tonawanda, New York
United States Navy officers
People from Mount Pleasant, Iowa
United States federal judges admitted to the practice of law by reading law
19th-century members of the Iowa General Assembly