LeBaron Bradford Colt (June 25, 1846 – August 18, 1924) was a
United States senator
The United States Senate consists of 100 members, two from each of the 50 U.S. state, states. This list includes all senators serving in the 119th United States Congress.
Party affiliation
Independent Senators Angus King of Maine and Berni ...
from
Rhode Island
Rhode Island ( ) is a state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Connecticut to its west; Massachusetts to its north and east; and the Atlantic Ocean to its south via Rhode Island Sound and Block Is ...
and a
United States circuit judge
In the United States, a federal judge is a judge who serves on a court established under Article Three of the U.S. Constitution. Often called "Article III judges", federal judges include the chief justice and associate justices of the U.S. Su ...
of the
United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit
The United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit (in case citations, 1st Cir.) is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts:
* District of Maine
* District of Massachusetts ...
and of the
United States Circuit Courts for the First Circuit and previously was a United States District Judge of the
United States District Court for the District of Rhode Island
The United States District Court for the District of Rhode Island (in case citations, D.R.I.) is the federal district court whose jurisdiction is the state of Rhode Island. The District Court was created in 1790 when Rhode Island ratified the ...
.
Education and career
Born on June 25, 1846, in
Dedham,
Massachusetts
Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...
,
Colt attended the public schools and Williston Seminary.
He received an
Artium Baccalaureus degree in 1868 from
Yale University
Yale University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701, Yale is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Stat ...
and a
Bachelor of Laws
A Bachelor of Laws (; LLB) is an undergraduate law degree offered in most common law countries as the primary law degree and serves as the first professional qualification for legal practitioners. This degree requires the study of core legal subje ...
in 1870 from
Columbia Law School
Columbia Law School (CLS) is the Law school in the United States, law school of Columbia University, a Private university, private Ivy League university in New York City.
The school was founded in 1858 as the Columbia College Law School. The un ...
.
At Yale, Colt was a member of
Skull and Bones
Skull and Bones (also known as The Order, Order 322 or The Brotherhood of Death) is an undergraduate senior Secret society#Colleges and universities, secret student society at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut. The oldest senior-class ...
.
Following graduation, he devoted a year to European travel.
He entered private practice in
Chicago
Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
,
Illinois
Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Wabash River, Wabash and Ohio River, Ohio rivers to its ...
from 1871 to 1875.
He continued private practice in
Bristol
Bristol () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, the most populous city in the region. Built around the River Avon, Bristol, River Avon, it is bordered by t ...
,
Rhode Island
Rhode Island ( ) is a state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Connecticut to its west; Massachusetts to its north and east; and the Atlantic Ocean to its south via Rhode Island Sound and Block Is ...
from 1875 to 1879.
He was a member of the
Rhode Island House of Representatives
The Rhode Island House of Representatives is the lower house of the Rhode Island General Assembly, the state legislature (United States), state legislature of the U.S. state of Rhode Island, the upper house being the Rhode Island Senate. It is ...
from 1879 to 1881.
Federal judicial service
Colt was nominated by President
James A. Garfield
James Abram Garfield (November 19, 1831 – September 19, 1881) was the 20th president of the United States, serving from March 1881 until his death in September that year after being shot two months earlier. A preacher, lawyer, and Civi ...
on March 9, 1881, to a seat on the
United States District Court for the District of Rhode Island
The United States District Court for the District of Rhode Island (in case citations, D.R.I.) is the federal district court whose jurisdiction is the state of Rhode Island. The District Court was created in 1790 when Rhode Island ratified the ...
vacated by Judge
John Power Knowles
John Power Knowles (June 13, 1808 – August 3, 1887) was a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of Rhode Island.
Education and career
Born in Providence, Rhode Island, Knowles received an Artium B ...
.
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 March 21, 1881, and received his commission the same day.
His service terminated on July 23, 1884, due to his elevation to the First Circuit.
Colt was nominated by President
Chester A. Arthur
Chester Alan Arthur (October 5, 1829 – November 18, 1886) was the 21st president of the United States, serving from 1881 to 1885. He was a Republican from New York who previously served as the 20th vice president under President James A. ...
on July 2, 1884, to a seat on the
United States Circuit Courts for the First Circuit vacated by Judge
John Lowell
John Lowell (June 17, 1743 – May 6, 1802) was a delegate to the Congress of the Confederation, a judge of the Court of Appeals in Cases of Capture under the Articles of Confederation, a United States district judge of the United States Distric ...
.
He was confirmed by the Senate on July 5, 1884, and received his commission the same day.
Colt was assigned by
operation of law
The phrase "by operation of law" is a legal term that indicates that a right or liability has been created for a party, irrespective of the intent of that party, because it is dictated by existing legal principles. For example, if a person dies wi ...
to additional and concurrent service on the
United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit
The United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit (in case citations, 1st Cir.) is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts:
* District of Maine
* District of Massachusetts ...
on June 16, 1891, to a new seat authorized by 26 Stat. 826 (
Evarts Act
The Judiciary Act of 1891 (), also known as the Circuit Court of Appeals Act of 1891, or the Evarts Act after its primary sponsor, Senator William M. Evarts, created the United States courts of appeals and reassigned the jurisdiction of most r ...
).
On December 31, 1911, the Circuit Courts were abolished and he thereafter served only on the Court of Appeals.
His service terminated on February 7, 1913, due to his resignation.
Congressional service
Colt was elected in 1913 as a
Republican to 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 ...
.
He was reelected in 1919 and served from March 4, 1913, until his death in Bristol on August 18, 1924.
He was Chairman of the Committee on Conservation of Natural Resources for the
65th United States Congress
The 65th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C., from March 4, 1917, ...
and Chairman of the Committee on Immigration for the
66th through
68th United States Congress
The 68th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C., from March 4, 192 ...
es.
He voted against the
Immigration Act of 1924
The Immigration Act of 1924, or Johnson–Reed Act, including the Asian Exclusion Act and National Origins Act (), was a United States federal law that prevented immigration from Asia and set quotas on the number of immigrants from every count ...
and supported women's suffrage.
He was interred in
Juniper Hill Cemetery in Bristol.
Family
Colt was the son of Christopher Colt (the brother of arms maker
Samuel Colt
Samuel Colt (; July 19, 1814 – January 10, 1862) was an American inventor, industrialist, and businessman who established Colt's Patent Fire-Arms Manufacturing Company and made the mass production of revolvers commercially viable.
Col ...
) and Theodora Goujand DeWolf Colt; his younger brother,
Samuel P. Colt
Samuel Pomeroy Colt (January 10, 1852 – August 13, 1921) was an industrialist and politician from Rhode Island. He formed the United States Rubber Company, later called Uniroyal, the largest rubber company in the nation.
Early life and educa ...
, was a prominent
Rhode Island businessman and politician.
See also
*
References
External links
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Colt, LeBaron B.
1846 births
1924 deaths
Burials at Juniper Hill Cemetery
Columbia Law School alumni
Judges of the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit
Judges of the United States District Court for the District of Rhode Island
Republican Party members of the Rhode Island House of Representatives
People from Bristol, Rhode Island
Politicians from Dedham, Massachusetts
Politicians from Providence, Rhode Island
Republican Party United States senators from Rhode Island
United States federal judges appointed by Chester A. Arthur
United States federal judges appointed by James A. Garfield
Yale University alumni
Lawyers from Dedham, Massachusetts
DeWolf family
Colt family
Members of Skull and Bones
20th-century United States senators
19th-century members of the Rhode Island General Assembly