- Wallace McCamant
Infobox Judge
name = Wallace McCamant
imagesize =
caption =
office = 17th Associate Justice of theOregon Supreme Court
termstart = 1917
termend = 1918
nominator =
appointer =James Withycombe
predecessor =Robert Eakin
successor =Charles A. Johns
office2 = Judge for the U. S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
termstart2 =May 25 1925
termend2 =May 2 1926
nominator2 =
appointer2 =Calvin Coolidge
predecessor2 =Erskine M. Ross
successor2 =Frank Sigel Dietrich
birthdate =September 22 1867
birthplace =Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania
deathdate =December 17 1944
deathplace =Portland, Oregon
spouse = Katherine S. DavisWallace McCamant (
September 22 1867 -December 17 1944 ) was an American jurist inOregon . APennsylvania native, he served as the 46thAssociate Justice of theOregon Supreme Court from 1917 to 1918. Later he served briefly on theUnited States Circuit Court of Appeals . As a delegate to theRepublican National Convention in 1920, McCamant surprised the GOP leadership by placing the name ofCalvin Coolidge into nomination for Vice-President. [Sol Barzman, "Madmen and Geniuses", pp.198-99 ] Coolidge would become the 29th President of the United States upon the death of President Harding in 1923.Early life
Born on
September 22 1867 inHollidaysburg, Pennsylvania , McCamant was the son of Thomas McCamant and the former Delia Robbins.Corning, Howard M. "Dictionary of Oregon History". Binfords & Mort Publishing, 1956.] He grew up inHarrisburg, Pennsylvania and attended the public schools in that town. Then in 1888 he graduated fromLafayette College inEaston, Pennsylvania with aPh.B. degree. [http://www.fjc.gov/servlet/tGetInfo?jid=1522 Wallace McCamant.] Federal Judicial Center. RetrievedJanuary 11 2008 .]Wallace then read law and in 1890 was admitted to the bar in
Pennsylvania and subsequently moved toOregon . He then entered private practice inPortland, Oregon . Next, in 1893 he married Katherine S. Davis, and they would have two sons. Then in 1904 McCamant became a Master in Chancery for theUnited States District Court for the District of Oregon , serving until 1917. In 1909, he was president of the Portland chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution. [ [http://gesswhoto.com/1909-SAR.html Sons of the American Revolution: Portland, Oregon.] 1909 Oregon Blue Book. RetrievedJanuary 11 2008 .] During his private legal career McCamant represented a client before the United States Supreme Court in "Ross v. State of Oregon", 227 US 150 (1913).Judicial career
Then on
January 8 1917 , McCamant was appointed to the Oregon Supreme Court to replaceRobert Eakin by Oregon GovernorJames Withycombe . [http://www.bluebook.state.or.us/state/elections/elections27.htm Oregon Blue Book: Supreme Court Justices of Oregon.] Oregon Secretary of State. RetrievedJanuary 11 2008 .] [http://bluebook.state.or.us/state/elections/elections24.htm Oregon Blue Book: Oregon Governors.] Oregon Secretary of State. RetrievedJanuary 11 2008 .] Eighteen months later, McCamant resigned onJune 4 1918 and was replaced byCharles A. Johns .In May 1925, President Coolidge nominated McCamant to the Ninth Circuit Court Court of Appeals while the Senate was in recess. However, when the Senate reconvened he was not confirmed and his time on the federal bench ended in May 1926. The lack of confirmation is partly due to McCamant’s support for Coolidge over Senator
Hiram Johnson at the 1920 Republican Convention to select the Vice-Presidential nominee from the party. McCamant had been the delegate who first moved for the nomination of Coolidge after the Republican leadership and moved for and seconded SenatorIrvine Lenroot of Wisconsin, which resulted in Coolidge's ascension to the Presidency uponWarren G. Harding 's death [ [http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,728946-1,00.html Unexpected.] "Time",February 8 1926 .] With the Senate not confirming McCamant, he became the first recess appointment to the federal bench not to be confirmed by the Senate. [Bashman, Howard J. [http://www.hjbashman.com/resources-articles-03-08-04.htm Test Your Knowledge Of Federal Judicial Recess Appointment Trivia.] Howard J. Bashman. RetrievedJune 10 2008 .]Later life
In 1922, he dedicated the
Theodore Roosevelt Rough Rider statue in Portland's South Park Blocks. [ [http://www.proctormuseum.com/sculptures/monument.html Monumental Works.] A. Phimister Proctor Museum. RetrievedJanuary 11 2008 .] OnDecember 17 1944 , Wallace McCamant died and was buried at River View Cemetery in Portland. [ [http://politicalgraveyard.com/geo/OR/aba.html American Bar Association in Oregon Politician members.] The Political Graveyard. RetrievedJanuary 11 2008 .]External links
* [http://nwda-db.wsulibs.wsu.edu/findaid/ark:/80444/xv60198 Guide to Wallace McCamant papers]
* [http://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/common/generic/VP_Calvin_Coolidge.htm U.S. Senate: Calvin Coolidge biography]References
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