Josiah O. Wolcott

Infobox Officeholder
honorific-prefix =
name = Josiah O. Wolcott
honorific-suffix =


imagesize =
small

office = Chancellor of Delaware
term_start = July 2 1921
term_end = November 11 1938
predecessor = Charles M. Curtis
successor = W. W. Harrington
office2 = U.S. Senator from Delaware
term_start2 = March 4 1917
term_end2 = July 2 1921
predecessor2 = Henry A. du Pont
successor2 = T. Coleman du Pont
birth_date = birth date|1877|10|31|mf=y
birth_place = Dover, Delaware
death_date = death date and age|1938|11|11|1877|10|31
death_place = Dover, Delaware
spouse =
party = Democratic
residence = Dover, Delaware
alma_mater = Wesleyan University
occupation =
profession = lawyer
religion = Methodist

Josiah Oliver Wolcott (October 31 1877 – November 11 1938) was an American lawyer, politician and judge, from Dover, in Kent County, Delaware. He was a member of the Democratic Party, who served as Attorney General of Delaware, U.S. Senator from Delaware, and Chancellor of Delaware.

Early life and family

Wolcott was born October 31 1877 in Dover, Delaware, attended the Wilmington Conference Academy, now Wesley College, at Dover, Delaware and graduated from Wesleyan University, Middletown, Connecticut. He was admitted to the Bar in 1904 and began the practice of law at Wilmington, Delaware.

Political career

Wolcott was Deputy Attorney General of Delaware from 1909 until 1913, elected Attorney General of Delaware in 1912 and served from January 21 1913 until January 16 1917.

In the first popular election of a U.S. Senator in Delaware, he was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1916, defeating incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Henry A. du Pont. During this term, Wolcott served with the Democratic majority in the 65th Congress, but was in the minority in the 66th and 67th Congress. In the 65th Congress he was Chairman of the Committee on Expenditures in the Department of Commerce. In all, he served from March 4 1917 to July 2 1921, during the administrations of U.S. Presidents Woodrow Wilson and Warren G. Harding.

On July 2 1921, Wolcott resigned from the U.S. Senate to accept a surprising appointment from Republican Governor William D. Denney to become Chancellor of Delaware. The appointment came to be known as the "deal" or the "dirty deal," and many suspected T. Coleman du Pont organized it in order to gain the U.S. Senate seat for himself and the Republican Party. Wolcott served as Chancellor for the remainder of his life.

Death and legacy

Wolcott died November 11 1938 at Dover, Delaware and is buried at Lakeside Methodist Cemetery, Dover.

According to Henry R. Horsey and William Duffy in their article on the Delaware Court system, Wolcott distinguished himself as Chancellor and they continued: Chancellery "Judge Pearson later recalled the spartan 'office' of Chancellor Wolcott, consisting of a small desk and gooseneck lamp, in the stacks of the State Law Library in Dover. There Wolcott worked without a secretary, writing his opinions in longhand. Pearson attributed Wolcott's conduct to his determination to ask for nothing. It was during Wolcott's tenure that Delaware's Court of Chancery gained the high regard and respect of lawyers and corporate boards throughout the country. It was Wolcott's judicial wisdom and judgment that first attracted lawyers and litigants from around the nation to Delaware as a preferred forum for litigation."

Public offices

Elections are held the first Tuesday after November 1st. U.S. Senators have a term of six years and took office March 4th.