Grafton Green
Encyclopedia
Grafton Green was an American
jurist
who served on the Tennessee Supreme Court
from 1910 to 1947, including more than 23 years as chief justice.
Grafton Green was born in Lebanon, Tennessee
, the son of Nathan Green, Jr.
, who taught law for 63 years at Cumberland School of Law
of Cumberland University
and served as the law school's chancellor. His paternal grandfather, Nathan Green, Sr., had been a judge on the Tennessee Supreme Court for 20 years.
Grafton Green earned an LL.B from Cumberland School of Law in 1893, being called to the bar that same year. He operated a law practice in Nashville
until 1910, when he was elected to be an associate justice of the Tennessee Supreme Court
. He was subsequently re-elected in 1918, 1926, 1934, and 1942. Green became the Chief Justice of Tennessee in 1923, serving until his death. As of 2011, he holds the record as the person who served the longest on Tennessee
's highest court.
In 1927, Green presided over the appeal
of John T. Scopes
, who had been convicted
of teaching evolution
. The court found the law against teaching of evolution to be constitutional, but overturned Scopes' conviction on a technicality. Five years later, Green also presided over Evans v. McCabe, 52 S.W. 2d 159 (1932) which held that the state constitution prohibits personal income taxes on wages, but not on interest-bearing investments.
A bust
of Grafton Green is displayed in the Tennessee Supreme Court Building in Nashville.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
jurist
Jurist
A jurist or jurisconsult is a professional who studies, develops, applies, or otherwise deals with the law. The term is widely used in American English, but in the United Kingdom and many Commonwealth countries it has only historical and specialist usage...
who served on the Tennessee Supreme Court
Tennessee Supreme Court
The Tennessee Supreme Court is the state supreme court of the state of Tennessee. Cornelia Clark is the current Chief Justice.Unlike other states, in which the state attorney general is directly elected or appointed by the governor or state legislature, the Tennessee Supreme Court appoints the...
from 1910 to 1947, including more than 23 years as chief justice.
Grafton Green was born in Lebanon, Tennessee
Lebanon, Tennessee
Lebanon is a city in Wilson County, Tennessee, in the United States. The population was 20,235 at the 2000 census. It serves as the county seat of Wilson County. Lebanon is located in middle Tennessee, approximately 25 miles east of downtown Nashville. Local residents have also called it...
, the son of Nathan Green, Jr.
Nathan Green, Jr.
Nathan Green, Jr. was one of the founders and the first dean of Cumberland School of Law, then located in Lebanon, Tennessee....
, who taught law for 63 years at Cumberland School of Law
Cumberland School of Law
Cumberland School of Law is an ABA accredited law school at Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama. The 11th oldest law school in the United States, it is 160 years old and has more than 11,000 graduates. Its alumni include two United States Supreme Court Justices; Nobel Peace Prize recipient...
of Cumberland University
Cumberland University
Cumberland University is a private university in Lebanon, Tennessee, United States. It was founded in 1842, though the current campus buildings were constructed between 1892 and 1896.-History:...
and served as the law school's chancellor. His paternal grandfather, Nathan Green, Sr., had been a judge on the Tennessee Supreme Court for 20 years.
Grafton Green earned an LL.B from Cumberland School of Law in 1893, being called to the bar that same year. He operated a law practice in Nashville
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
until 1910, when he was elected to be an associate justice of the Tennessee Supreme Court
Tennessee Supreme Court
The Tennessee Supreme Court is the state supreme court of the state of Tennessee. Cornelia Clark is the current Chief Justice.Unlike other states, in which the state attorney general is directly elected or appointed by the governor or state legislature, the Tennessee Supreme Court appoints the...
. He was subsequently re-elected in 1918, 1926, 1934, and 1942. Green became the Chief Justice of Tennessee in 1923, serving until his death. As of 2011, he holds the record as the person who served the longest on Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
's highest court.
In 1927, Green presided over the appeal
Appeal
An appeal is a petition for review of a case that has been decided by a court of law. The petition is made to a higher court for the purpose of overturning the lower court's decision....
of John T. Scopes
John T. Scopes
John Thomas Scopes , was a biology teacher in Dayton, Tennessee, who was charged on May 5, 1925 for violating Tennessee's Butler Act, which prohibited the teaching of evolution in Tennessee schools...
, who had been convicted
Scopes Trial
The Scopes Trial—formally known as The State of Tennessee v. John Thomas Scopes and informally known as the Scopes Monkey Trial—was a landmark American legal case in 1925 in which high school science teacher, John Scopes, was accused of violating Tennessee's Butler Act which made it unlawful to...
of teaching evolution
Evolution
Evolution is any change across successive generations in the heritable characteristics of biological populations. Evolutionary processes give rise to diversity at every level of biological organisation, including species, individual organisms and molecules such as DNA and proteins.Life on Earth...
. The court found the law against teaching of evolution to be constitutional, but overturned Scopes' conviction on a technicality. Five years later, Green also presided over Evans v. McCabe, 52 S.W. 2d 159 (1932) which held that the state constitution prohibits personal income taxes on wages, but not on interest-bearing investments.
A bust
Bust (sculpture)
A bust is a sculpted or cast representation of the upper part of the human figure, depicting a person's head and neck, as well as a variable portion of the chest and shoulders. The piece is normally supported by a plinth. These forms recreate the likeness of an individual...
of Grafton Green is displayed in the Tennessee Supreme Court Building in Nashville.