Ralph Tunnicliff Catterall (14 March 1897–8 October 1978), judge of the Virginia State Corporation Commission, was born in Chicago, Illinois, and graduated from Harvard University

Harvard University

Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...

. During World War I

World War I

World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...

 he was a second lieutenant in the United States Army

United States Army

The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...

.

After completing law school, Catterall joined a law firm in New York City. In 1924 he moved to Richmond, Virginia

Richmond, Virginia

Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...

, where he practiced law and taught part-time at the T. C. Williams School of Law of the University of Richmond

University of Richmond

The University of Richmond is a selective, private, nonsectarian, liberal arts university located on the border of the city of Richmond and Henrico County, Virginia. The University of Richmond is a primarily undergraduate, residential university with approximately 4,000 undergraduate and graduate...

 from 1924 to 1949. He was most highly regarded for his expertise on constitutional law.

On 14 April 1949 the governor appointed Catterall to the State Corporation Commission to fill an unexpired term. Catterall served until 1973 and had an enduring influence on the SCC, especially the banking section. He was very critical of the Supreme Court of the United States' rulings on desegration of the public schools.

Catterall is buried in Hollywood Cemetery in Richmond.

Sources

• W. Hamilton Bryson, ed., Legal Education in Virginia, 1779–1979: A Biographical Approach (1982), 127–131.
• Commonwealth 16 (May 1949): 20–21.
• John T. Kneebone et al., eds., Dictionary of Virginia Biography
  Dictionary of Virginia Biography
  The Dictionary of Virginia Biography is a multivolume biographical reference work published by the Library of Virginia covering all aspects of Virginia's history and culture since 1607....
  
  (Richmond, 2006), 3:126-127.