Nicholas John Sinnott (December 6, 1870 – July 20, 1929) was an American lawyer and a

United States representative The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Artic ...

from

Oregon Oregon ( , ) is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is a part of the Western U.S., with the Columbia River delineating much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while t ...

from 1913 to 1928. President

Calvin Coolidge Calvin Coolidge (born John Calvin Coolidge Jr.; ; July 4, 1872January 5, 1933) was the 30th president of the United States, serving from 1923 to 1929. A Republican Party (United States), Republican lawyer from Massachusetts, he previously ...

made him a

federal judge Federal judges are judges appointed by a federal level of government as opposed to the state/provincial/local level. United States A U.S. federal judge is appointed by the U.S. president and confirmed by the U.S. Senate in accordance with Arti ...

on the Court of Claims, serving from 1928 to 1929.

Education and career

Sinnott was born on December 6, 1870, in

The Dalles The Dalles ( ;) formally the City of the Dalles and also called Dalles City, is an inland port, the county seat of and the largest city in Wasco County, Oregon, United States. The population was 16,010 at the 2020 census, and it is the large ...

, Wasco County, Oregon. His father was Colonel N. B. Sinnott and his mother was Mary Brass Sinnott.Corning, Howard M. ''Dictionary of Oregon History''. Binfords & Mort Publishing, 1956. He attended public schools and the Wasco Independent Academy at The Dalles. He received an Artium Baccalaureus degree in 1892 from the

University of Notre Dame The University of Notre Dame du Lac (known simply as Notre Dame; ; ND) is a Private university, private Catholic research university in Notre Dame, Indiana, United States. Founded in 1842 by members of the Congregation of Holy Cross, a Cathol ...

and

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 ...

with Alfred S. Bennett in 1895. He was admitted to the bar and entered private practice in The Dalles from 1885 to 1912. He served as a Republican member of the

Oregon State Senate The Oregon State Senate is the upper house of the State legislature (United States), statewide legislature for the US state of Oregon. Along with the lower chamber Oregon House of Representatives it makes up the Oregon Legislative Assembly. Ther ...

from Wasco County from 1909 to 1913, being elected in 1909 and 1911.

Congressional career

Sinnott was elected as a Republican to the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Artic ...

of the

63rd United States Congress The 63rd 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, 1913, t ...

and to the seven succeeding Congresses and served from March 4, 1913, until his resignation effective May 31, 1928. He was Chairman of the

United States House Committee on Public Lands The U.S. House Committee on Natural Resources or Natural Resources Committee (often referred to as simply Resources) is a Congressional committee of the United States House of Representatives. Originally called the Committee on Interior and Ins ...

for the 66th through

70th United States Congress The 70th 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 and of the

United States House Committee on Patents A patent is a type of intellectual property that gives its owner the legal right to exclude others from making, using, or selling an invention for a limited period of time in exchange for publishing an enabling disclosure of the invention."A ...

for the

. While in the House he worked to create and enlarge water reclamation projects in

Eastern Oregon Eastern Oregon is a region of the U.S. state of Oregon. It is not an officially recognized geographic entity; thus, the boundaries of the region vary according to context. It is sometimes understood to include only the eight easternmost countie ...

Federal judicial career

Sinnott was nominated by President

on April 18, 1928, to a seat on the Court of Claims (later the

United States Court of Claims The Court of Claims was a federal court that heard claims against the United States government. It was established in 1855, renamed in 1948 to the United States Court of Claims (), and abolished in 1982. Then, its jurisdiction was assumed by the n ...

) vacated by Judge

Fenton Whitlock Booth Fenton Whitlock Booth (May 12, 1869 – July 26, 1947) was a member of the Illinois House of Representatives and later chief justice of the Court of Claims. Education and career Born on May 12, 1869, in Marshall, Clark County, Illinois, Booth ...

. 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 April 20, 1928, and received his commission the same day. His service terminated on July 20, 1929, due to his death in

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

He was interred in St. Peters Cemetery in The Dalles.

Personal

In 1901, Sinnott married Dora Purcell; they had six children.

Museum

The Sinnott Memorial Observation Station and museum at

Crater Lake National Park Crater Lake National Park is a national park of the United States located in southern Oregon. Established in 1902, Crater Lake is the fifth-oldest national park in the United States and the only national park in Oregon. The park encompasses t ...

was dedicated in Sinnott's honor on July 16, 1931.Reddell, Greg
"Sinnott Memorial Observation Station and Museum"
, ''Friends of Crater Lake National Park'', Volume 7, No. 1, Crater Lake, Oregon, Winter 2002.

References

Sources

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Sinnott, Nicholas John 1870 births 1929 deaths Politicians from The Dalles, Oregon Republican Party Oregon state senators University of Notre Dame alumni Judges of the United States Court of Claims United States Article I federal judges appointed by Calvin Coolidge Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Oregon 20th-century members of the United States House of Representatives 20th-century members of the Oregon Legislative Assembly