Rensselaer Russell Nelson (May 12, 1826 – October 15, 1904) was a

United States district judge The United States district courts are the trial courts of the United States federal judiciary, U.S. federal judiciary. There is one district court for each United States federal judicial district, federal judicial district, which each cover o ...

of the

United States District Court for the District of Minnesota The United States District Court for the District of Minnesota (in case citations, D. Minn.) is the United States district court, federal district court whose jurisdiction is the state of Minnesota. Its two primary courthouses are in Minneapoli ...

. He was the son of United States Supreme Court Justice Samuel Nelson.

Education and career

Born on May 12, 1826, in

Cooperstown Cooperstown is a village in and county seat of Otsego County, New York, United States. Most of the village lies within the town of Otsego, but some of the eastern part is in the town of Middlefield. Located at the foot of Otsego Lake in the C ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

, Nelson attended

Hartwick Seminary Hartwick College is a private liberal arts college in Oneonta, New York. The institution's origin is rooted in the founding of Hartwick Seminary in 1797 through the will of John Christopher Hartwick. In 1927, the Seminary moved to expand into a ...

, then graduated from

Yale University Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wo ...

in 1846 and

read law Reading law was the 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 under the ...

with

James R. Whiting James Raynor Whiting (April 30, 1803 – March 16, 1872) was an American lawyer and politician from New York. Life He was New York County District Attorney from 1838 to 1844. In 1842 as District Attorney, he prosecuted John C. Colt for the murder ...

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

in 1849. At Yale he was a member of Skull and Bones. He entered private practice in Buffalo, New York from 1849 to 1850. He continued private practice in

Saint Paul Paul; grc, Παῦλος, translit=Paulos; cop, ⲡⲁⲩⲗⲟⲥ; hbo, פאולוס השליח (previously called Saul of Tarsus;; ar, بولس الطرسوسي; grc, Σαῦλος Ταρσεύς, Saũlos Tarseús; tr, Tarsuslu Pavlus; ...

, Minnesota Territory from 1850 to 1853, and from 1855 to 1857. He was county attorney of Douglas County,

Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...

from 1853 to 1855. He was an associate justice of the Supreme Court of Minnesota Territory from 1857 to 1858. Nelson was a member of the

Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to: *Democratic Party (United States) Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to: Active parties Africa *Botswana Democratic Party *Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea *Gabonese Democratic Party *Demo ...

Federal judicial service

Following the admission of the State of

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...

to the Union on May 11, 1858, Nelson was nominated by President

James Buchanan James Buchanan Jr. ( ; April 23, 1791June 1, 1868) was an American lawyer, diplomat and politician who served as the 15th president of the United States from 1857 to 1861. He previously served as secretary of state from 1845 to 1849 and repr ...

on May 20, 1858, to the

, to a new seat authorized by 11 Stat. 285. He was confirmed by the

United States Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and pow ...

on May 30, 1858, and received his commission the same day. His service terminated on May 16, 1896, due to his retirement, by when he was the last federal judge in active service to have been appointed by President Buchanan. His retirement, although expected due to his age and length of service, was still surprising considering:

There was considerable surprise in the United States Court to-day over the retirement of Judge Nelson. He was in the midst of a trial when he astonished every one by dismissing the jury, adjourning court, and announcing his retirement to private life. Judge Nelson is the oldest Judge in point of service on the federal bench, having been appointed nearly forty years ago.

Later career and death

Following his retirement from the federal bench, Nelson resumed private practice in Saint Paul from 1896 to 1904. He died on October 15, 1904, in Saint Paul.

Family

Nelson was the fourth child of United States Supreme Court Justice Samuel Nelson and Catharine Ann Russell, his father's second wife. On November 2, 1858, Nelson was married to Mrs. Emma Fuller (

née A birth name is the name of a person given upon birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name, or the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a birth certificate or birth re ...

Beebee) Wright (1832–1886). They had two children.

References

Sources

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Nelson, Rensselaer Russell 1826 births 1904 deaths Minnesota Territory judges Judges of the United States District Court for the District of Minnesota United States federal judges appointed by James Buchanan 19th-century American judges Yale University alumni United States federal judges admitted to the practice of law by reading law