Frank W. Hawthorne

{{Short description|American judge (1900–1986)}}

{{infobox officeholder

|name=Frank W. Hawthorne

|office=Justice of the Louisiana Supreme Court

|term_start=January 1, 1945

|term_end=January 2, 1968

|predecessor=Frederick M. Odom

|successor=Mack E. Barham

|birth_name=Francis Willard Hawthorne

|birth_date={{birth date|1900|6|2}}

|death_date={{death date and age|1986|3|2|1900|6|2}}

|alma_mater=Louisiana State University Law Center

|profession=Judge

}}

Francis Willard "Frank" Hawthorne (June 2, 1900 – March 2, 1986) was a justice of the Louisiana Supreme Court from January 1, 1945, to January 2, 1968.{{cite web|url=http://www.lasc.org/Bicentennial/justices/Hawthorne_Frank.aspx|title=Frank W. Hawthorne, 1945 (1 Jan.)-1968 (2 Jan.)|publisher=Louisiana Supreme Court|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190609025709/http://www.lasc.org/Bicentennial/justices/Hawthorne_Frank.aspx|access-date=May 15, 2020|archive-date=2019-06-09}}{{cite web|url=http://www.lasc.org/Bicentennial/justices.aspx|title=Louisiana Supreme Court Justices, 1813-Present|publisher=Louisiana Supreme Court|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190608080334/http://www.lasc.org/Bicentennial/justices.aspx|access-date=May 16, 2020|archive-date=2019-06-08}}

Hawthorne received his law degree from Louisiana State University, and was a Louisiana District Attorney and a judge of the state's Fourth Judicial Circuit before defeating two other candidates to secure his election to an open seat on the supreme court in 1944."Frank Willard Hawthorne", The Shreveport Journal (March 3, 1986), p. 8."Other Returns", The Acadian-Signal (September 14, 1944), p. 6. Hawthorne remained active in his retirement, appearing before the Louisiana Constitutional Convention's Judiciary Committee in 1973 to urge "a constitutional prohibition against pardons for capitol punishment"."Greater Authority for Parish Officials Proposed", The Alexandria Town Talk (May 28, 1973), p. 3.