Edgar M. Cullen facts for kids
Edgar Montgomery Cullen (1843–1922) was an important American lawyer, judge, and politician. He was from the state of New York. Cullen is best known for being the main judge, called the Chief Judge, of the New York Court of Appeals. He held this position from 1904 to 1913.
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Biography
Early Life and Education
Edgar Montgomery Cullen was born on December 4, 1843. His hometown was Brooklyn, in Kings County, New York. He was the second son of Dr. Henry J. Cullen.
Edgar went to the Kinderhook Academy. He then graduated from Columbia College in 1860. After that, he started studying engineering at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. However, his studies were stopped when the American Civil War began.
Serving in the Civil War
In 1861, Edgar joined the United States Army. He became a lieutenant in the First United States Infantry. By 1862, at just 19 years old, he became a colonel. He led the 96th New York Volunteer Infantry.
During the war, he took charge of a group of soldiers. This happened after their leader, Hiram Burnham, died at the Battle of Chaffin's Farm. After leaving the Union Army, he first went back to studying engineering. But soon, he decided to study law instead. He became a lawyer in 1867.
Legal and Judicial Career
Cullen became active in the Democratic Party. From 1872 to 1875, he worked as an Assistant District Attorney for Kings County. A District Attorney is a lawyer who works for the government. In 1876, he was a top advisor for Governor Samuel J. Tilden.
In 1880, Cullen was elected as a judge for the New York Supreme Court. He was re-elected for a second 14-year term in 1894. In 1900, he became one of the first three judges appointed to the Court of Appeals.
After Chief Judge Alton B. Parker left his job in 1904, Cullen was chosen to be the new Chief Judge. Governor Benjamin Barker Odell, Jr. appointed him. In November 1904, he was elected to a full 14-year term as Chief Judge. Both Republicans and Democrats supported him.
In 1913, he led the trial of Governor William Sulzer. This was a special trial to decide if the governor should be removed from office. Cullen voted against removing him.
Cullen retired from being a judge at the end of 1913. He had reached the age limit of 70 years. After retiring, he went back to working as a lawyer. He joined the law firm Cullen & Dykman in Brooklyn.
When he retired, Cullen was honored at a big dinner. It was held at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel. Many important people from New York's legal and political world attended. This included former Governor and Supreme Court Justice Charles Evans Hughes. Cullen spoke at the event. He talked about how proud he was of the legal profession.
Death and Legacy
Edgar M. Cullen passed away on May 23, 1922. He was 78 years old. He died at his home in Brooklyn after a serious stroke. Cullen was buried at the Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn.
