William Caleb Loring (August 24, 1851 – September 8, 1930) was a justice of the

Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court (SJC) is the highest court in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Although the claim is disputed by the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, the SJC claims the distinction of being the oldest continuously functi ...

from September 7, 1899, to September 16, 1919. He was appointed by Governor Roger Wolcott.

Early life, education, and career

Born in

Beverly, Massachusetts Beverly is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, and a suburb of Boston. The population was 42,670 at the time of the 2020 United States Census. A resort, residential, and manufacturing community on the Massachusetts North Shore, Beverly incl ...

, to Caleb William and Elizabeth Smith (Peabody) Loring, he attended a private school and graduated from

Harvard College Harvard College is the undergraduate college of Harvard University, an Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636, Harvard College is the original school of Harvard University, the oldest institution of higher ...

in 1872, where he was a rower on the university

crew team Rowing, sometimes called crew in the United States, is the sport of racing boats using oars. It differs from paddling sports in that rowing oars are attached to the boat using oarlocks, while paddles are not connected to the boat. Rowing is d ...

."Justice Loring Dies In Home At Age of 79", ''Fitchburg Sentinel'' (September 8, 1930), p. 1, 5. Continuing at Harvard, he received an A.M. in 1875. He became an Assistant Attorney General of Massachusetts on December 1, 1875, serving in that position until July 1878, when he resigned to become a partner in the law firm of

Ropes & Gray Ropes & Gray LLP is a global law firm with 13 offices located in the United States, Asia and Europe. The firm has more than 1,500 lawyers and professionals worldwide, and its clients include corporations and financial institutions, government agen ...

(thereafter called Ropes, Gray and Loring until his departure). In this capacity, he served as general solicitor and later general counsel of the

New York and New England Railroad The New York and New England Railroad (NY&NE) was a railroad connecting southern New York State with Hartford, Connecticut; Providence, Rhode Island; and Boston, Massachusetts. It operated under that name from 1873 to 1893. Prior to 1873 it was ...

, from 1882 to 1886. When partner John Codman Ropes died in 1899, Loring was a

pallbearer A pallbearer is one of several participants who help carry the casket at a funeral. They may wear white gloves in order to prevent damaging the casket and to show respect to the deceased person. Some traditions distinguish between the roles ...

at his funeral.

Judicial career

On August 30, 1899, Governor Roger Wolcott nominated Loring to a seat on the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court vacated by the elevation of

Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. (March 8, 1841 – March 6, 1935) was an American jurist and legal scholar who served as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1902 to 1932.Holmes was Acting Chief Justice of the U ...

to chief justice. Loring's nomination was confirmed by the

Massachusetts Senate The Massachusetts Senate is the upper house of the Massachusetts General Court, the bicameral state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The Senate comprises 40 elected members from 40 single-member senatorial districts in the st ...

on September 11, 1899."Wm. Caleb Loring Confirmed", ''The Boston Globe'' (September 11, 1899), p. 10. He remained on the court until 1919, stepping down from the bench a week after the twentieth anniversary of his assumption of that office. Loring remained involved with Harvard College during and after his tenure on the court. In 1901, the institution awarded Loring an honorary

LL.D. Legum Doctor (Latin: “teacher of the laws”) (LL.D.) or, in English, Doctor of Laws, is a doctorate-level academic degree in law or an honorary degree, depending on the jurisdiction. The double “L” in the abbreviation refers to the earl ...

, and from 1902 to 1911, he sat on the board of overseers of Harvard College. After leaving the court, he lectured at

Harvard Law School Harvard Law School (Harvard Law or HLS) is the law school of Harvard University, a private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest continuously operating law school in the United States. Each class ...

on the practice of the law, from 1921 to 1929. In addition, Loring served as the first chair of the Judicial Council of Massachusetts, from 1924 to 1926.

Personal life

In 1883, he married Susan Mason Lawrence, who died in 1923. They had no children.

References

Justices of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court 1851 births 1930 deaths People from Beverly, Massachusetts Harvard College alumni Harvard Law School faculty {{US-state-judge-stub