Warren Gard
Encyclopedia
Warren Gard was an attorney, prosecutor
, jurist
and member of the United States House of Representatives
from Ohio
.
Warren Gard was born in Hamilton, Ohio
, son of Samuel Zearly Gard and Mary Duke. His father was also an attorney, prosecutor and newspaper publisher. S. Z. Gard served as Butler County, Ohio
prosecuting attorney from 1862–66 and again from 1871–72, being one of the prosecutors in the murder case in which Clement Vallandigham
, acting for the defense, accidentally shot himself. Samuel Gard also published the True Telegraph newspaper which became the Butler County Democrat. His son Homer Gard, Warren’s brother, later owned several newspapers in Ohio, including the Hamilton Evening Journal and Hamilton Daily News.
Warren Gard attended the public schools in Hamilton, attended the University of Cincinnati
and graduated from the Cincinnati Law School in 1894. He was admitted to the bar in 1894 and commenced practice in Hamilton. For thirty-five years he was an honored member of the Hamilton bar. In 1910, Warren Gard married Pearl Woods of Hamilton.
Warren Gard was elected county prosecutor in 1894, the youngest in the history of the county, holding the office for 10 years. During this period he prosecuted some outstanding criminal cases, notably that of the State of Ohio versus Alfred A. Knapp, several murder cases, the Bishop faith-cure case, and the Spivey risk cases. He was elected Court of Common Pleas
judge in 1907 and held the office for one term until 1912.
In 1912, Warren Gard was elected as a Democrat
from Ohio’s Third District to the Sixty-third Congress. He was re-elected in 1914, 1916 and 1918, one of the ablest members of the Ohio delegation during the First World War period. He was a member of the House Judiciary Committee, sustaining the reputation during his years in the House as the most dignified member. In the summer of 1919 he led the fight in Congress for the repeal of wartime prohibition
and for a more liberal definition of an "intoxicant." He was not a candidate for renomination in 1920, but in 1922, ran unsuccessfully for the House seat he had held for four terms.
After his political career, he resumed the practice of law in Hamilton where he died. He is interred in Greenwood Cemetery.
Prosecutor
The prosecutor is the chief legal representative of the prosecution in countries with either the common law adversarial system, or the civil law inquisitorial system...
, 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...
and member of the United States House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
from Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
.
Warren Gard was born in Hamilton, Ohio
Hamilton, Ohio
Hamilton is a city in Butler County, southwestern Ohio, United States. The population was 62,447 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Butler County. The city is part of the Cincinnati metropolitan area....
, son of Samuel Zearly Gard and Mary Duke. His father was also an attorney, prosecutor and newspaper publisher. S. Z. Gard served as Butler County, Ohio
Butler County, Ohio
Butler County is a county located in the state of Ohio, United States. As of 2010, the population was 368,130. Its county seat is Hamilton. It is named for General Richard Butler, who died in 1791 fighting Indians in northern Ohio. Butler's army marched out of Fort Hamilton, where the city of...
prosecuting attorney from 1862–66 and again from 1871–72, being one of the prosecutors in the murder case in which Clement Vallandigham
Clement Vallandigham
Clement Laird Vallandigham was an Ohio resident of the Copperhead faction of anti-war Democrats during the American Civil War. He served two terms in the United States House of Representatives.-Biography:...
, acting for the defense, accidentally shot himself. Samuel Gard also published the True Telegraph newspaper which became the Butler County Democrat. His son Homer Gard, Warren’s brother, later owned several newspapers in Ohio, including the Hamilton Evening Journal and Hamilton Daily News.
Warren Gard attended the public schools in Hamilton, attended the University of Cincinnati
University of Cincinnati
The University of Cincinnati is a comprehensive public research university in Cincinnati, Ohio, and a part of the University System of Ohio....
and graduated from the Cincinnati Law School in 1894. He was admitted to the bar in 1894 and commenced practice in Hamilton. For thirty-five years he was an honored member of the Hamilton bar. In 1910, Warren Gard married Pearl Woods of Hamilton.
Warren Gard was elected county prosecutor in 1894, the youngest in the history of the county, holding the office for 10 years. During this period he prosecuted some outstanding criminal cases, notably that of the State of Ohio versus Alfred A. Knapp, several murder cases, the Bishop faith-cure case, and the Spivey risk cases. He was elected Court of Common Pleas
Ohio Courts of Common Pleas
The Ohio Courts of Common Pleas are the trial courts of the state court system of Ohio.The courts of common pleas are the trial courts of general jurisdiction in the state. They are the only trial courts created by the Ohio Constitution . The duties of the courts are outlined in Article IV, Section...
judge in 1907 and held the office for one term until 1912.
In 1912, Warren Gard was elected as a Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
from Ohio’s Third District to the Sixty-third Congress. He was re-elected in 1914, 1916 and 1918, one of the ablest members of the Ohio delegation during the First World War period. He was a member of the House Judiciary Committee, sustaining the reputation during his years in the House as the most dignified member. In the summer of 1919 he led the fight in Congress for the repeal of wartime prohibition
Prohibition
Prohibition of alcohol, often referred to simply as prohibition, is the practice of prohibiting the manufacture, transportation, import, export, sale, and consumption of alcohol and alcoholic beverages. The term can also apply to the periods in the histories of the countries during which the...
and for a more liberal definition of an "intoxicant." He was not a candidate for renomination in 1920, but in 1922, ran unsuccessfully for the House seat he had held for four terms.
After his political career, he resumed the practice of law in Hamilton where he died. He is interred in Greenwood Cemetery.
Sources
- Ohio : a four-volume reference library on the history of a great state. Chicago: Lewis Publishing Co., 1937, 2520 pgs.
- “Warren Gard Dies.” New York Times, 2 November 1929, page 13.