Horace W. Wilkie

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The Honorable
Horace W. Wilkie
21st Chief Justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court
In office
August 1, 1974 – May 23, 1976
Preceded byE. Harold Hallows
Succeeded byBruce F. Beilfuss
Justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court
In office
June 5, 1962 – May 23, 1976
Appointed byGaylord Nelson
Preceded byGrover L. Broadfoot
Succeeded byShirley Abrahamson
Member of the Wisconsin Senate
from the 26th district
In office
January 7, 1957 – June 5, 1962
Preceded byGaylord Nelson
Succeeded byFred A. Risser
Personal details
Born(1917-01-09)January 9, 1917
Madison, Wisconsin, U.S.
DiedMay 23, 1976(1976-05-23) (aged 59)
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Cause of deathHeart attack
Resting placeRoselawn Memorial Park, Monona, Wisconsin
Political partyDemocratic
Spouse(s)Marian Cora Beardsley (died 1998)
Children5 daughters
Alma mater
Professionlawyer, judge
Military service
Allegiance United States
Branch/service United States Coast Guard

Horace White Wilkie (January 9, 1917 – May 23, 1976) was an American attorney, judge, and Democratic politician from the U.S. state of Wisconsin. He was the 21st Chief Justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court (1974–1976) and served a total of 14 years on the court (1962–1976). Before being appointed to the Court, he served five years in the Wisconsin State Senate, representing Madison, Wisconsin.

Biography[]

Born in Madison, Wisconsin,[1] Wilkie graduated from what is now the University of Wisconsin–Madison and received his law degree from George Washington University. During World War II, Wilkie served in the United States Coast Guard. After the war, he helped revive the Democratic Party of Wisconsin with other young liberals and former members of the Wisconsin Progressive Party in what was known as the Democratic Organizing Committee.[2] He ran for Congress three times in 1948, 1950, and 1952. In 1956, Wilkie was elected to the Wisconsin State Senate.[2] In 1962, he was appointed to the Wisconsin Supreme Court and in 1974, became chief justice of the court, serving until his death.[2][3][4] Wilkie died of a heart attack in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in 1976.[1]

An odd coincidence of Justice Wilkie's career is that his successors in the Wisconsin State Senate and Wisconsin Supreme Court both became the longest-serving members of those respective bodies. Fred A. Risser, who succeeded him in the Senate, served from 1962 through 2021.[5] Shirley Abrahamson, who succeeded him on the Wisconsin Supreme Court, served from 1976 through 2019.[6] She died on December 19, 2020 in Berkeley, California.

References[]

  1. ^ a b "Chief Justice Wilkie Dies in Pennsylvania". The Sheboygan Press. May 24, 1976. p. 1. Retrieved July 19, 2019 – via Newspapers.com. open access
  2. ^ a b c "Chief Justice Horace Wilkie". The Capital Times. May 25, 1976. p. 40. Retrieved July 18, 2019 – via Newspapers.com. open access
  3. ^ Horace Wilkie, Wisconsin Historical Society
  4. ^ "Chief Justice Horace Wilkie, Wisconsin Supreme Court". Archived from the original on 2011-07-21. Retrieved 2011-02-26.
  5. ^ Johnson, Shawn (March 26, 2020). "Fred Risser, Nation's Longest-Serving State Legislator, To Retire". Wisconsin Public Radio. Retrieved March 24, 2021.
  6. ^ "Justice Shirley S. Abrahamson". Wisconsin Court System. Retrieved March 24, 2021.
Wisconsin Senate
Preceded by Member of the Wisconsin Senate from the 26th district
January 7, 1957 – June 5, 1962 		Succeeded by
Legal offices
Preceded by Justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court
June 5, 1962 – May 23, 1976 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Chief Justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court
September 11, 1974 – May 23, 1976 		Succeeded by
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