Warren Coffin Philbrook (November 30, 1857 – May 31, 1933) was a justice of the

Maine Supreme Judicial Court The Maine Supreme Judicial Court is the highest court in the state of Maine's judicial system. It is composed of seven justices, who are appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Maine Senate. Between 1820 and 1839, justices served lifetime ...

and

Attorney General of Maine The Maine Attorney General is the chief legal advisor and prosecutor of the State of Maine. The constitutional basis of the office is Article IX, Section 11 of the Maine Constitution, and the holder of the position is chosen biennially by the Mai ...

. A Republican, Philbrook served in a variety of political, legal, and judicial roles throughout the

U.S. State In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...

Maine Maine ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the United States, and the northeasternmost state in the Contiguous United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Provinces and ...

throughout his career. Philbrook was a

Freemason 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 ...

and a member of the

Knights of Pythias The Knights of Pythias is a Fraternal and service organizations, fraternal organization and secret society founded in Washington, D.C., on . The Knights of Pythias was the first fraternal organization to receive a charter under an Act of Co ...

, where he served as Chancellor Commander of Maine.

Early life and education

Philbrook was born in 1857 in

Sedgwick, Maine Sedgwick is a town in Hancock County, Maine, United States. The population was 1,202 at the 2020 census. The town includes the village of Sargentville. The countryside around Sedgwick is a haven for birdwatchers, as well as an out-of-the-way ...

in Hancock County, but moved to nearby

Castine, Maine Castine ( ) is a town in Hancock County in eastern Maine, United States.; John Faragher. ''Great and Nobel Scheme''. 2005. p. 68. The population was 1,320 at the 2020 census. Castine is the home of Maine Maritime Academy, a four-year institut ...

after birth. He was the son of Luther Groves Philbrook and Angelia Philbrook. Philbrook attended public schools in

Calais, Maine Calais is a city in Washington County, Maine, United States. As of the 2020 census, it had a population of 3,079, making Calais the largest municipality by population in Washington County, but the third least-populous city in Maine (after Ha ...

, near to his hometown. During secondary school, he attended the

Coburn Classical Institute The Coburn Classical Institute was a college preparatory school in Waterville, Maine, which operated from 1828–1970. History Waterville Academy In its early years, Waterville College (now Colby College) had maintained a Latin school in ...

, a

college preparatory school A college-preparatory school (often shortened to prep school, preparatory school, college prep school or college prep academy) is a type of secondary school. The term refers to public, private independent or parochial schools primarily design ...

Waterville, Maine Waterville is a city in Kennebec County, Maine, United States, on the west bank of the Kennebec River. A college town, the city is home to Colby College, a New England Small College Athletic Conference, NESCAC college, and Thomas College. As ...

. After high school, he attended

Colby College Colby College is a private liberal arts college in Waterville, Maine, United States. Founded in 1813 as the Maine Literary and Theological Institution, it was renamed Waterville College in 1821. The donations of Christian philanthropist Gardner ...

between 1881 and 1882, and thereafter Eastern State Normal School until 1883. He married his wife, Ada M. Foster, in 1882. Philbrook

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 ...

and was admitted to the bar of Kennebec County on October 21, 1884. He also became the principal of

Waterville High School Waterville may refer to: Places Canada * Waterville, Quebec * Waterville, Nova Scotia * Waterville, Carleton County, New Brunswick, a rural community * Waterville, Sunbury County, New Brunswick, a rural community * Waterville, Newfoundland and Lab ...

during this year. Philbook resigned from Waterville High School in 1887 to form a law firm with O.G. Hall.

Career

On September 19, 1897, Philbrook became Judge of the Waterville Municipal Court. In 1899, Philbrook ran for and successfully won an election to become Mayor of Waterville. He successfully ran for a second term in 1900. Shortly thereafter he ran for and won a seat in the

Maine House of Representatives The Maine House of Representatives is the lower house of the Maine Legislature. The House consists of 151 voting members and three nonvoting members. The voting members represent an equal number of districts across the state and are elected via ...

. There, he served two terms, both of which on the Judiciary Committee, the second term as chairman. During his tenure he was chairman of the Republican State Committee. He also served as president of the state Board of Trade and Board of Education. In July 1905, he was appointed to be the assistant attorney general of Maine, the first holder of that office since its creation by the

legislature A legislature (, ) is a deliberative assembly with the legal authority to make laws for a political entity such as a country, nation or city on behalf of the people therein. They are often contrasted with the executive and judicial power ...

. In January 1909, the legislature elected Philbrook as

attorney general In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general (: attorneys general) or attorney-general (AG or Atty.-Gen) is the main legal advisor to the government. In some jurisdictions, attorneys general also have executive responsibility for law enf ...

for the state. On April 9, 1913 he was appointed as a

justice In its broadest sense, justice is the idea that individuals should be treated fairly. According to the ''Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy'', the most plausible candidate for a core definition comes from the ''Institutes (Justinian), Inst ...

of the

by Republican governor

William Haines Charles William Haines (January 2, 1900 – December 26, 1973) was an American actor and interior designer. Haines was discovered by a talent scout and signed with Goldwyn Pictures in 1922. His career gained momentum when he received favo ...

. He served until November 9, 1928, where he retired into active retired judge status. He died on May 31, 1933.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Philbrook, Warren C. 1857 births 1933 deaths 19th-century mayors of places in Maine 20th-century mayors of places in Maine Mayors of Waterville, Maine People from Sedgwick, Maine Republican Party members of the Maine House of Representatives Maine attorneys general Justices of the Maine Supreme Judicial Court Maine lawyers Colby College alumni 20th-century members of the Maine Legislature Coburn Classical Institute alumni