William Marion Ramsey facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
William Marion Ramsey
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| 43rd Associate Justice of the Oregon Supreme Court | |
| In office 1913–1915 |
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| Appointed by | Oswald West |
| Preceded by | new position |
| Succeeded by | Lawrence T. Harris |
| Personal details | |
| Born | December 25, 1846 Iowa |
| Died | September 15, 1937 (aged 90) Oregon |
| Spouses | Mahala A. Harris Julia A. Snyder |
| Relatives | Anne Ramsey (Niece) |
William Marion Ramsay (born December 25, 1846 – died September 15, 1937) was an important American politician and judge in Oregon. He served as one of the judges on the Oregon Supreme Court from 1913 to 1915. Before that, he was the very first leader (called a dean) of the Willamette University College of Law. He also served as the mayor of two different cities in Oregon: Salem, Oregon and McMinnville, Oregon.
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Early Life and Education
William Ramsay was born on Christmas Day 1846 in Monroe County, Iowa. The very next year, when he was just a baby, his family made a long journey. They traveled along the famous Oregon Trail all the way to Oregon Country. They settled near a town called Newberg, Oregon in the fall of 1847.
William's parents, Susan Shuck and David Ramsey, built their home on land where a famous pioneer named Ewing Young once had a mill. William was the youngest of five children when they moved to Oregon. Later, his parents had nine more children! He went to local public schools and then graduated from Linfield College, which was then called McMinnville College.
Instead of going to law school, William studied law by himself, working with lawyers in Yamhill County. This way of learning is called "reading law." In 1868, he passed the test to become a lawyer, which is called "passing the bar." Two years later, he married Mahala A. Harris, and they had four children together.
A Career in Law and Politics
In 1870, William Ramsay was chosen to be the county judge for Yamhill County, Oregon. After that, he worked as a lawyer in Lafayette, Oregon for ten years. For some of that time, he was a partner with another lawyer named Benjamin F. Bonham.
From 1883 to 1888, Ramsay became the first dean of the Willamette University College of Law in Salem, Oregon. As dean, he was in charge of three other professors. While living in Salem, he also served as the city's mayor.
Later, he moved to eastern Oregon, living in Pendleton, Oregon and La Grande, Oregon from 1902 to 1911. Eventually, he moved back to McMinnville, Oregon, where he was elected mayor for two terms.
Serving on the Oregon Supreme Court
On June 3, 1913, the Governor of Oregon, Oswald West, chose William Ramsay to become a judge on the state's highest court, the Oregon Supreme Court. Another former dean of Willamette Law, Charles L. McNary, was also appointed at the same time. This happened because the court was growing from five to seven judges.
Ramsay, who was a member of the Democratic Party, ran to keep his position in 1914. However, he lost the election to Lawrence T. Harris. Both Ramsay and McNary finished their time on the court on January 4, 1915.
Family Life and Legacy
William Ramsay's son, Frederick, was a sergeant in the US Marine Corps. He served on the battleship Oregon during the Spanish-American War.
After his first wife passed away, William married Julia A. Snyder in 1896. They had one daughter together. William Marion Ramsay died on September 15, 1937, when he was 91 years old. He was buried in McMinnville. Several judges from the Oregon Supreme Court attended his funeral, including Henry J. Bean, John O. Bailey, John L. Rand, and Percy R. Kelly.
Today, the law school at Willamette University holds a special event each year to honor him.
