Joshua Eric Dodge (October 25, 1854 – May 2, 1921) was an American lawyer politician, and judge from the U.S. state of Wisconsin. He was a justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court for 12 years (1898–1910). Earlier, he served as a United States Assistant Attorney General in the administration of President Grover Cleveland, and was a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly, representing Racine County in the 1891 session.[1]
Joshua E. Dodge | |
|---|---|
 Portrait from the Wisconsin Historical Society | |
| Justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court | |
| In office November 22, 1898 – September 1, 1910 | |
| Appointed by | Edward Scofield |
| Preceded by | Silas U. Pinney |
| Succeeded by | Aad J. Vinje |
| Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly from the Racine district | |
| In office January 5, 1891 – January 2, 1893 | |
| Preceded by | Alfred L. Buchan |
| Succeeded by | Peter Nelson (1st dist.) Francis Reuschlein (2nd dist.) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | October 25, 1854 Arlington, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Died | May 2, 1921 (aged 66) Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Alma mater | Grinnell College (B.A.) Boston University Law School (LL.B.) |
| Profession | Lawyer, judge |
Biography
editJoshua Dodge was in Arlington, Massachusetts, in October 1854.[2] He was raised and educated there, attending the Westford Academy, in Westford, Massachusetts, and then attending Iowa College, in Grinnell, Iowa. He graduated in 1875, then went on to study at the Boston University School of Law, graduating in 1877.[3][4]
He was admitted to the bar in Boston, but moved to Wisconsin the following spring, settling in Racine, Wisconsin, in March 1878. He practiced law there for over a decade, and was involved in local politics with the Democratic Party. In 1890, he was elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly, running on the Democratic Party ticket.[5]
Following his term in the Legislature, he was appointed to the national Board of Commissioners for the Promotion of Uniformity of Legislation in the United States.[3][4] The following Summer, U.S. President Grover Cleveland appointed him United States Assistant Attorney General. He was confirmed in the Fall and served through the rest of the Cleveland administration, resigning in 1897 after his successor was confirmed.[6]
In January 1898, he opened a new law office in Milwaukee in partnership with another young Racine lawyer, Samuel Field. The practice lasted only a short time, however, as Dodge was appointed to the Wisconsin Supreme Court in the Fall of 1898 by Governor Edward Scofield. Dodge replaced Silas U. Pinney, who was resigning due to poor health.[7] Dodge was elected to finish Pinney's judicial term in the Spring 1899 election, and was subsequently elected to another ten-year term in April 1901. Dodge did not face an opponent in either election.[8][9]
Dodge retired in the Fall of 1910, with a year left on his term.[10] He died at his home in Milwaukee on May 2, 1921, after a long illness.[2] Dodge never married and had no children.[2]
Electoral history
editWisconsin Assembly (1890)
edit| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Election, November 4, 1890 | |||||
| Democratic | Joshua E. Dodge | 3,500 | 49.50% | +5.34% | |
| Republican | Elias N. White | 2,763 | 39.08% | −11.22% | |
| Labor | A. B. Hayes | 459 | 6.49% | ||
| Prohibition | J. S. Blakie | 348 | 4.92% | −0.62% | |
| Plurality | 737 | 10.42% | +4.28% | ||
| Total votes | 7,070 | 100.0% | -11.40% | ||
| Democratic gain from Republican | |||||
Wisconsin Supreme Court (1899, 1901)
edit| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Election, April 4, 1899 | |||||
| Nonpartisan | Joshua E. Dodge (incumbent) | 103,372 | 99.06% | ||
| Scattering | 982 | 0.94% | |||
| Total votes | 104,354 | 100.0% | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Election, April 2, 1901 | |||||
| Nonpartisan | Joshua E. Dodge (incumbent) | 130,161 | 99.06% | ||
| Scattering | 3,651 | 2.73% | |||
| Total votes | 133,812 | 100.0% | |||
References
edit- ^ "Joshua Eric Dodge". The Dodge Family Association. Retrieved July 15, 2018.
- ^ a b c "Judge Joshua Dodge Dies in Milwaukee". Wisconsin State Journal. May 2, 1921. p. 1. Retrieved March 24, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b "Justice Joshua E. Dodge". Wisconsin Court System. Retrieved March 24, 2022.
- ^ a b "Dodge, Joshua Eric 1854 - 1921". Wisconsin Historical Society. 8 August 2017. Retrieved March 24, 2022.
- ^ a b Cunningham, Thomas J., ed. (1891). "Biographical Sketches" (PDF). The Blue Book of the State of Wisconsin (Report). State of Wisconsin. p. 600. Retrieved March 24, 2022.
- ^ "J. E. Dodge Coming Home". Racine Journal Times. July 9, 1897. p. 1. Retrieved March 24, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "J. E. Dodge for Judge". Racine Journal Times. November 14, 1898. p. 1. Retrieved March 24, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b Froehlich, William H., ed. (1901). "Election Statistics" (PDF). The Blue Book of the State of Wisconsin (Report). State of Wisconsin. p. 379. Retrieved March 24, 2022.
- ^ a b Erickson, Halford, ed. (1903). "Election Statistics" (PDF). The Blue Book of the State of Wisconsin (Report). State of Wisconsin. p. 597. Retrieved March 24, 2022.
- ^ "Supreme Judge Has Retired From Bench". Green Bay Press-Gazette. August 31, 1910. p. 4. Retrieved March 24, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
External links
edit- Justice Joshua E. Dodge at Wisconsin Court System