Ralph Waldo Emerson Donges (May 5, 1875 – September 21, 1974), known as Ralph W. E. Donges, was a judge in New Jersey who served as Justice of the
New Jersey Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of New Jersey is the supreme court, highest court in the U.S. state of New Jersey. In its current form, the Supreme Court of New Jersey is the final judicial authority on all cases in the state court system, including cases cha ...
from 1930 to 1948.
Biography
Donges was born on May 5, 1875, in
Donaldson
Donaldson is a Scottish and Irish patronymic surname meaning "son of Donald". It is a simpler Anglicized variant for the name MacDonald. Notable people with the surname include:
A
* Alastair Donaldson (1955–2013), Scottish musician
* Alex Do ...
,
Frailey Township,
Schuylkill County,
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...
on May 5, 1875, to John Washington Donges (1844-1931) and Rose Marguerite Ranaud (1845-1911).
Donges was Democrat and delegate to Democratic National Convention from New Jersey, 1916. He was colonel in the U.S. Army during World War I. He was Episcopalian and a member of the American Bar Association, the
Freemasons
Freemasonry (sometimes spelled Free-Masonry) consists of fraternal groups that trace their origins to the medieval guilds of stonemasons. Freemasonry is the oldest secular fraternity in the world and among the oldest still-existing organizati ...
,
Loyal Order of Moose
The Moose Fraternity (formerly The Loyal Order of Moose) is a fraternal and service organization founded in 1888 and headquartered in Mooseheart, Illinois.
Moose International supports the operation of Mooseheart Child City & School, a ...
, and
Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks
The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks (BPOE), commonly known as the Elks Lodge or simply The Elks, is an American fraternal order and charitable organization founded in 1868 in New York City. Originally established as a social club for m ...
.
He was a
circuit judge in New Jersey from 1920 to 1930 and an Associate Justice of New Jersey Supreme Court from 1930 to 1948. After the
Constitution of New Jersey
The Constitution of the State of New Jersey is the basic governing document of the State of New Jersey. In addition to three British Royal Charters issued for East Jersey, West Jersey and united New Jersey while they were still colonies, the s ...
was re-written in 1947, he was appointed to serve the
New Jersey Superior Court
The Superior Court is the state court in the U.S. state of New Jersey, with statewide trial and appellate jurisdiction. The New Jersey Constitution of 1947 establishes the power of the New Jersey courts: under Article Six of the State Consti ...
from 1948 to 1951.
He resided in
Camden and
Collngswood in
.
He died on September 21, 1974, at the age of 99 in
Oaklyn, New Jersey
Oaklyn is a Borough (New Jersey), borough in Camden County, New Jersey, Camden County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 3,930, a decrease of 108 (−2.7%) from the 2010 United Sta ...
and is entombed in a mausoleum at
Harleigh Cemetery, Camden
Harleigh Cemetery is a historic rural cemetery located in Camden, New Jersey, and established in 1885. The Camden County Veterans Cemetery was established in it in 2007. The cemetery covers over of lush mature grounds on the Cooper River. The cem ...
.
Legacy
The Camden County Bar Association awards a college scholarship in his honor.
See also
*
List of justices of the Supreme Court of New Jersey
Current justices
List of justices before 1947
Before 1947 and particularly after 1844, the structure of the New Jersey state judiciary was incredibly complex. In some cases, it is not entirely clear whether the following justices served on the ...
*
New Jersey Court of Errors and Appeals
Prior to 1947, the structure of the judiciary in New Jersey was extremely complex, including Court of Errors and Appeals in the last resort in all causes.
The Court of Errors and Appeals was the highest court in the U.S. state of New Jersey from ...
*
Courts of New Jersey
Courts of New Jersey include:
;State courts of New Jersey
*New Jersey Supreme Court (previously the New Jersey Court of Errors and Appeals)
**New Jersey Superior Court
The Superior Court is the state court in the U.S. state of New Jersey, ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Donges, Ralph W. E.
1875 births
1974 deaths
Justices of the Supreme Court of New Jersey
People from Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania
Politicians from Camden, New Jersey
People from Collingswood, New Jersey
People from Oaklyn, New Jersey
Burials at Harleigh Cemetery, Camden