William C. Perry
Encyclopedia
William C. Perry was an American
attorney and jurist in Oregon
. He was the 34th Chief Justice of the Oregon Supreme Court
. He served in that role twice for a total of five years. Perry was appointed to the court by soon to be ex-governor Douglas McKay
after McKay had already appointed him as a county circuit court judge. A native of Kansas
, he also worked as a county prosecuting attorney and city attorney prior to joining the state's highest court.
, where he then grew up before he served in the military during World War I
. He graduated from the University of Kansas
in Lawrence, Kansas
in 1922. There Perry was a member of the fraternity Phi Gamma Delta
and earned both his undergraduate degree and a law degree. He would marry Enola Miller of Riley, Kansas in June 1924 at Salina, Kansas, and they would have one son, William junior, and one daughter, JoAnne Kay (b. 1930, d. 1944). In Kansas
, he worked for the county as a prosecutor, earning $75 per month. In 1937, the family would move to Pendleton, Oregon
, where he would serve as the city's attorney from 1944 to 1950.
in 1950 by Douglas McKay
. On December 26, 1952, Oregon Governor
McKay appointed Perry to the Oregon Supreme Court to fill the vacancy created by the death of Arthur Hay
, who had died on December 19. McKay resigned as governor the following day. Then in 1954 Perry won election to a full six-year term followed by re-election in 1960 and 1966. During his tenure on Oregon’s highest court, he was selected to serve as chief justice twice. First in 1957 until 1959, and then from 1967 to 1970. Justice Perry then resigned from the court on June 1, 1970. After leaving the bench he would criticize the Supreme Court of the United States
for their decisions regarding free lawyers for defendants and the one person one vote principle.
just prior to the statute of limitations running out in 1976. Another clerk, Ken Morrow, was a high profile defense attorney in Oregon.
After retiring from the bench, Perry served as Chair of the Natural Resources section at the House of Delegates for the American Bar Association
in 1974. William C. Perry died in Chula Vista, California
, on October 27, 1985 at the age of 85 years old.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
attorney and jurist in Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
. He was the 34th Chief Justice of the Oregon Supreme Court
Oregon Supreme Court
The Oregon Supreme Court is the highest state court in the U.S. state of Oregon. The only court that may reverse or modify a decision of the Oregon Supreme Court is the Supreme Court of the United States. The OSC holds court at the Oregon Supreme Court Building in Salem, Oregon, near the capitol...
. He served in that role twice for a total of five years. Perry was appointed to the court by soon to be ex-governor Douglas McKay
Douglas McKay
James Douglas McKay was an American businessman and politician from Oregon. A native of the state, he served in World War I before he became a successful businessman, mainly as a car dealership owner in the capital city of Salem. A Republican, he served as a city councilor and mayor of Salem...
after McKay had already appointed him as a county circuit court judge. A native of Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
, he also worked as a county prosecuting attorney and city attorney prior to joining the state's highest court.
Early life
William C. Perry was born on March 11, 1900 in Belleville, KansasBelleville, Kansas
Belleville is a city in and the county seat of Republic County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 1,991.-Geography:Belleville is located at...
, where he then grew up before he served in the military 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 graduated from the University of Kansas
University of Kansas
The University of Kansas is a public research university and the largest university in the state of Kansas. KU campuses are located in Lawrence, Wichita, Overland Park, and Kansas City, Kansas with the main campus being located in Lawrence on Mount Oread, the highest point in Lawrence. The...
in Lawrence, Kansas
Lawrence, Kansas
Lawrence is the sixth largest city in the U.S. State of Kansas and the county seat of Douglas County. Located in northeastern Kansas, Lawrence is the anchor city of the Lawrence, Kansas, Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Douglas County...
in 1922. There Perry was a member of the fraternity Phi Gamma Delta
Phi Gamma Delta
The international fraternity of Phi Gamma Delta is a collegiate social fraternity with 120 chapters and 18 colonies across the United States and Canada. It was founded at Jefferson College, Pennsylvania, in 1848, and its headquarters are located in Lexington, Kentucky, USA...
and earned both his undergraduate degree and a law degree. He would marry Enola Miller of Riley, Kansas in June 1924 at Salina, Kansas, and they would have one son, William junior, and one daughter, JoAnne Kay (b. 1930, d. 1944). In Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
, he worked for the county as a prosecutor, earning $75 per month. In 1937, the family would move to Pendleton, Oregon
Pendleton, Oregon
Pendleton is a city in Umatilla County, Oregon, United States. Pendleton was named in 1868 by the county commissioners for George H. Pendleton, Democratic candidate for Vice-President in the 1864 presidential campaign. The population was 16,612 at the 2010 census...
, where he would serve as the city's attorney from 1944 to 1950.
Judicial career
Perry was appointed to the county court for Umatilla CountyUmatilla County, Oregon
Umatilla County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oregon. It is included in the 8 county definition of Eastern Oregon. The county is named for the Umatilla River. In 2010, its population was 75,889...
in 1950 by Douglas McKay
Douglas McKay
James Douglas McKay was an American businessman and politician from Oregon. A native of the state, he served in World War I before he became a successful businessman, mainly as a car dealership owner in the capital city of Salem. A Republican, he served as a city councilor and mayor of Salem...
. On December 26, 1952, Oregon Governor
Governor of Oregon
The Governor of Oregon is the top executive of the government of the U.S. state of Oregon. The title of governor was also applied to the office of Oregon's chief executive during the provisional and U.S. territorial governments....
McKay appointed Perry to the Oregon Supreme Court to fill the vacancy created by the death of Arthur Hay
Arthur D. Hay
Arthur Douglas Hay was an American attorney and judge in Oregon. He was the 62nd Associate Justice on the Oregon Supreme Court, serving from 1942 to 1952. Prior to his appointment to the state’s highest court, Hay served as a state circuit court judge.-Early life:Arthur Hay was born in Scotland on...
, who had died on December 19. McKay resigned as governor the following day. Then in 1954 Perry won election to a full six-year term followed by re-election in 1960 and 1966. During his tenure on Oregon’s highest court, he was selected to serve as chief justice twice. First in 1957 until 1959, and then from 1967 to 1970. Justice Perry then resigned from the court on June 1, 1970. After leaving the bench he would criticize the Supreme Court of the United States
Supreme Court of the United States
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
for their decisions regarding free lawyers for defendants and the one person one vote principle.
Other
One of Justice Perry’s law clerks while he was Chief Justice was Jack Gore Collins, who later was the assistant U.S. Attorney who signed the indictment for skyjacker D. B. CooperD. B. Cooper
D. B. Cooper is the name popularly used to refer to an unidentified man who hijacked a Boeing 727 aircraft in the airspace between Portland, Oregon and Seattle, Washington on November 24, 1971. He extorted $200,000 in ransom and parachuted to an uncertain fate...
just prior to the statute of limitations running out in 1976. Another clerk, Ken Morrow, was a high profile defense attorney in Oregon.
After retiring from the bench, Perry served as Chair of the Natural Resources section at the House of Delegates for the American Bar Association
American Bar Association
The American Bar Association , founded August 21, 1878, is a voluntary bar association of lawyers and law students, which is not specific to any jurisdiction in the United States. The ABA's most important stated activities are the setting of academic standards for law schools, and the formulation...
in 1974. William C. Perry died in Chula Vista, California
Chula Vista, California
Chula Vista is the second largest city in the San Diego metropolitan area, the seventh largest city in Southern California, the fourteenth largest city in the State of California, and the seventy seventh largest city in the U.S....
, on October 27, 1985 at the age of 85 years old.