John C. Sherburne

{{Infobox officeholder

|name = John C. Sherburne

|image =

|alt =

|caption =

|office1 = Chief Justice of the Vermont Supreme Court

|term_start1 = 1949

|term_end1 = 1955

|predecessor1 = Sherman R. Moulton

|successor1 = Olin M. Jeffords

|office2 = Associate Justice of the Vermont Supreme Court

|term_start2 = 1934

|term_end2 = 1949

|predecessor2 = Warner A. Graham

|successor2 = Samuel H. Blackmer

|office3 = Chief Judge of the Vermont Superior Court

|term_start3 = 1931

|term_end3 =1934

|predecessor3 = Warner A. Graham

|successor3 = John S. Buttles

|office4 = Judge of the Vermont Superior Court

|term_start4 = 1926

|term_end4 = 1934

|predecessor4 = Warner A. Graham

|successor4 = Olin M. Jeffords

|office5 = Member of the Vermont Senate from Orange County

|term_start5 = 1921

|term_end5 = 1923

|predecessor5 = Clinton Adams

|successor5 = Edna Beard

|office6 = State's Attorney of Orange County, Vermont

|term_start6 = 1917

|term_end6 = 1921

|predecessor6 = Frank S. Williams

|successor6 = Millward C. Taft

|birth_date = {{Birth date|1883|8|31}}

|birth_place = Pomfret, Vermont, U.S.

|death_date = {{Death date and age|1959|6|30|1883|8|31}}

|death_place = Randolph, Vermont, U.S.

|resting_place = South View Cemetery, Randolph, Vermont, U.S.

|party = Republican

|spouse = Alice Charlotte McIntyre (m. 1913)

|children = 2

|education = University of Vermont
Wadham College of Oxford University

|profession = Attorney

}}

John C. Sherburne (August 31, 1883 – June 30, 1959) was a Vermont attorney and judge. His career was most notable for his service as an associate justice of the Vermont Supreme Court from 1934 to 1949, and the court's Chief Justice from 1949 to 1955.

Early life

John Calvin Sherburne{{sfn|Encyclopedia of Vermont Biography|page=311}} was born in Pomfret, Vermont on August 31, 1883, the son of John C. and Cynthia E. (Giddlings) Sherburne.{{sfn|The Vermont of Today|page=29}} The elder John C. Sherburne held several local offices in Pomfret, and served as a member of the Vermont House of Representatives.{{sfn|The Vermont of Today|page=29}}

The younger John Sherburne was educated in Pomfret, and graduated from Woodstock High School.{{sfn|The Vermont of Today|page=29}} He then attended the University of Vermont, from which he graduated in 1904.{{sfn|The Vermont of Today|page=29}} Sherburne was a member of Delta Psi and Phi Beta Kappa.{{sfn|The MacIntyre, McIntyre and McIntire Clan|page=22}} From 1904 to 1907 he studied at Wadham College of Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar, the first Vermonter to attain this distinction.{{sfn|The Vermont of Today|page=29}}{{sfn|"North Pomfret: John C. Sherburne"|page=3}}

During the summer breaks from his university courses, Sherburne studied law in the Bethel office of Hunton and Stickney.{{sfn|"Pomfret: John C. Sherburne"|page=3}} Upon returning to the United States, he settled in Randolph, where he was admitted to the bar and began a practice.{{sfn|The Vermont of Today|page=29}}

Start of career

In addition to practicing law, Sherburne was a referee in bankruptcy from 1908 to 1916.{{sfn|The Vermont of Today|page=29}} A Republican in politics, from 1917 to 1921 he was State's Attorney of Orange County.{{sfn|The Vermont of Today|page=29}} In 1920, he was elected to the Vermont Senate, and he served one term.{{sfn|The Vermont of Today|page=29}} From January 1923 to April 1926, he was Secretary of Civil and Military Affairs (chief assistant) during the governorships of Redfield Proctor Jr. and Franklin S. Billings.{{sfn|The Vermont of Today|page=29}}

Judicial career

In April, 1926, Sherburne was appointed a judge of the Vermont Superior Court.{{sfn|The Vermont of Today|page=29}} In 1934, he was appointed an associate justice of the Vermont Supreme Court, filling the vacancy left by the death of Warner A. Graham.{{sfn|"They Are Elevated"|page=2}} He was appointed Chief Justice in 1949, filling the vacancy created by the retirement of Sherman R. Moulton,{{sfn|"Judge S. H. Blackmer is Elevated Today"|page=9}} and was succeeded as an associate justice by Samuel H. Blackmer.{{sfn|"Judge S. H. Blackmer is Elevated Today"|page=9}} Sherburne served as chief justice until retiring in 1955, and was succeeded by Olin M. Jeffords.{{sfn|"Olin M. Jeffords becomes State's 31st Chief Justice"|page=1}}

Honors

In 1919, Sherburne received the honorary degree of LL.D. from the University of Vermont.{{sfn|"UVM Honorary Degrees Are Awarded To 5"|page=13}}

Death and burial

Sherburne died at his home in Randolph on June 30, 1959, as the result of injuries he sustained after a fall down the stairs while moving a suitcase in preparation for a trip to visit his sister in Connecticut.{{sfn|"John Sherburne, Former Chief Justice, Dies"|page=1}}{{sfn|"Vermont Death Records, 1909-2008, Entry for John Calvin Sherburne"}} He was buried at South View Cemetery in Randolph.{{sfn|"Obituary, Alice M. Sherburne"|page=2}}

Family

On May 1, 1913, Sherburne married Alice Charlotte McIntyre (1885–1962).{{sfn|The Vermont of Today|page=29}}{{sfn|"Obituary, Alice M. Sherburne"|page=2}}{{sfn|"Vermont Death Records, 1909-2008, Entry for Alice Charlotte Sherburne"}} They were the parents of two children, son Henry M. and daughter Frances E.{{sfn|The Vermont of Today|page=29}}{{sfn|"John Sherburne, Former Chief Justice, Dies"|page=1}}

References

Sources

=Books=

{{cite book |last=Dodge |first=Prentiss Cutler |date=1912 |title=Encyclopedia of Vermont Biography |url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_tt2_3hTQxFMC |page=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_tt2_3hTQxFMC/page/n353 311] |location=Burlington, VT |publisher=Ullery Publishing Company |ref={{sfnRef|Encyclopedia of Vermont Biography}}}}
{{cite book |last=McIntire |first=R. H. |date=1949 |title=The MacIntyre, McIntyre and McIntire Clan of Scotland, Ireland, Canada, and New England |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RDw2AAAAMAAJ&q=%22phi+beta+kappa%22 |location=Baltimore, MD |publisher=Robert Harry McIntire |isbn=9780608318028 |ref={{sfnRef|The MacIntyre, McIntyre and McIntire Clan}}}}
{{cite book |last=Stone |first=Arthur F. |date=1929 |title=The Vermont of Today |volume=III |url=https://archive.org/stream/vermontoftodaywi03ston#page/n65/mode/2up/ |location=New York, NY |publisher=Lewis Historical Publishing Company |ref={{sfnRef|The Vermont of Today}}}}

=Newspapers=

{{cite news |date=October 1, 1904 |title=North Pomfret: John C. Sherburne |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/spirit-of-the-age-pomfret/135894781/ |work=Spirit of the Age |location=Woodstock, VT |via=Newspapers.com |ref={{sfnRef|"North Pomfret: John C. Sherburne"}}}}
{{cite news |date=July 22, 1905 |title=Pomfret: John C. Sherburne |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/spirit-of-the-age-pomfret/135894845/ |work=Spirit of the Age |location=Woodstock, VT |via=Newspapers.com |ref={{sfnRef|"Pomfret: John C. Sherburne"}}}}
{{cite news |date=February 8, 1934 |title=They Are Elevated |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-burlington-free-press-elevated/135894927/ |work=Burlington Free Press |location=Burlington, VT |via=Newspapers.com |ref={{sfnRef|"They Are Elevated"}}}}
{{cite news |date=April 1, 1949 |title=Judge S. H. Blackmer is Elevated Today |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-north-adams-transcript-elevated/135894980/ |work=Burlington Free Press |location=Burlington, VT |via=Newspapers.com |ref={{sfnRef|"Judge S. H. Blackmer is Elevated Today"}}}}
{{cite news |date=June 21, 1949 |title=UVM Honorary Degrees Are Awarded To 5 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-burlington-free-press-honorary/135895056/ |work=Burlington Free Press |location=Burlington, VT |via=Newspapers.com |ref={{sfnRef|"UVM Honorary Degrees Are Awarded To 5"}}}}
{{cite news |date=February 18, 1955 |title=Olin M. Jeffords becomes State's 31st Chief Justice |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-burlington-free-press-chief/135895114/ |work=Burlington Free Press |location=Burlington, VT |via=Newspapers.com |ref={{sfnRef|"Olin M. Jeffords becomes State's 31st Chief Justice"}}}}
{{cite news |date=July 1, 1959 |title=John Sherburne, Former Chief Justice, Dies |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-burlington-free-press-chief/135895180/ |work=Burlington Free Press |location=Burlington, VT |via=Newspapers.com |ref={{sfnRef|"John Sherburne, Former Chief Justice, Dies"}}}}
{{cite news |date=December 4, 1962 |title=Obituary, Alice M. Sherburne |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-burlington-free-press-sherburne/135895268/ |work=Burlington Free Press |location=Burlington, VT |via=Newspapers.com |ref={{sfnRef|"Obituary, Alice M. Sherburne"}}}}

=Internet=

{{cite web |url=https://www.ancestry.com/ |title=Vermont Death Records, 1909-2008, Entry for John Calvin Sherburne |last=Frink |first=E. H. (Randolph, VT Town Clerk) |date=July 2, 1959 |website=Ancestry.com |publisher=Ancestry.com, LLC |location=Provo, UT |url-access=subscription |ref={{sfnRef|"Vermont Death Records, 1909-2008, Entry for John Calvin Sherburne"}}}}
{{cite web |url=https://www.ancestry.com/ |title=Vermont Death Records, 1909-2008, Entry for Alice Charlotte Sherburne |last=Frink |first=E. H. (Randolph, VT Town Clerk) |date=January 2, 1963 |website=Ancestry.com |publisher=Ancestry.com, LLC |location=Provo, UT |url-access=subscription |ref={{sfnRef|"Vermont Death Records, 1909-2008, Entry for Alice Charlotte Sherburne"}}}}