Myron L. Gordon
{{Short description|20th century American judge}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|honorific-prefix =
|name = Myron L. Gordon
|honorific-suffix =
|image =
|alt =
|caption =
|office = Senior Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin
| term_start = February 12, 1983
| term_end = November 3, 2009
|office1 = Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin
| term_start1 = March 4, 1967
| term_end1 = February 12, 1983
| appointer1 = Lyndon B. Johnson
| predecessor1 = Seat established by 80 Stat. 75
| successor1 = Thomas John Curran
|office2 = Justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court
| term_start2 = January 1, 1962
| term_end2 = March 4, 1967
| predecessor2 = John E. Martin
| successor2 = Connor Hansen
|office3 = Judge of the Wisconsin 2nd Circuit, Branch 3
| term_start3 = January 4, 1955
| term_end3 = January 1, 1962
| predecessor3 = Elmer W. Roller
| successor3 = John A. Decker
|birth_date = {{Birth date|1918|02|11}}
|birth_place = Kenosha, Wisconsin, U.S.
|death_date = {{Death date and age|2009|11|03|1918|02|11}}
|death_place = Palm Desert, California, U.S.
|restingplace =
|spouse = {{unbulleted list
| {{marriage|Ruth Peggy Siesel|1942|1973|end=died}}
| Myra
}}
|children = 3
|education = {{nowrap|University of Wisconsin (BA, MA)}}
{{nowrap|Harvard University (LLB)}}
|profession = Lawyer, judge
}}
Myron L. Gordon (February 11, 1918{{spnd}}November 3, 2009) was an American lawyer and jurist from Kenosha, Wisconsin. He was a United States district judge for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, serving from 1967 until taking senior status in 1983. He previously served five years as a justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court, and was a Wisconsin circuit court judge for seven years in Milwaukee County.
Education and career
Born in Kenosha, Wisconsin, Gordon received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Wisconsin in 1939 and a Master of Arts degree from the same institution in 1939. He received a Bachelor of Laws from Harvard Law School in 1942. He was Lieutenant in the United States Naval Reserve from 1944 to 1946. He was in private practice in Milwaukee from 1945 to 1950. He was a civil court judge in Milwaukee County from 1950 to 1954. He ran unsuccessfully for a Wisconsin circuit court judgeship in 1953, losing to
Leo B. Hanley.{{cite report|url= https://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/N6Q3X3SXGLMTH8Z |title= The Wisconsin Blue Book 1954 |year= 1954 |publisher= Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau |editor-last1= Toepel |editor-first1= M. G. |editor-last2= Kuehn |editor-first2= Hazel L. |chapter= Parties and Elections |page= [https://search.library.wisc.edu/digital/AN6Q3X3SXGLMTH8Z/full/ADQEJ7HLO7OEFB8G 773] |accessdate= April 8, 2023 }} He ran again the following year, and this time defeated incumbent judge Elmer W. Roller.{{cite report|url= https://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/N6Q3X3SXGLMTH8Z |title= The Wisconsin Blue Book 1954 |year= 1954 |publisher= Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau |editor-last1= Toepel |editor-first1= M. G. |editor-last2= Kuehn |editor-first2= Hazel L. |chapter= Addenda |page= [https://search.library.wisc.edu/digital/AN6Q3X3SXGLMTH8Z/full/AUMWPCWDFTEK3U8U 781] |accessdate= April 8, 2023 }} He served a full six-year term as circuit judge and was re-elected in 1960.
In 1961, he sought election to the Wisconsin Supreme Court in the seat being vacated by the retirement of chief justice John E. Martin. Gordon survived the nonpartisan primary in March 1961, and went on to face former state attorney general Stewart G. Honeck in the general election. Gordon prevailed with 52% of the vote in the April general election.{{cite web|url= https://www.wicourts.gov/courts/supreme/justices/retired/gordon.htm |title= Former Justices - Justice Myron L. Gordon |website= Wisconsin Court System |accessdate= October 14, 2023 }}{{FJC Bio|890|nid=1381391|name=Myron L. Gordon}}
=Federal judicial service=
Gordon was nominated by President Lyndon B. Johnson on January 16, 1967, to the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, to a new seat created by 80 Stat. 75. He was confirmed by the United States Senate on March 2, 1967, and received his commission on March 4, 1967. He assumed senior status on February 12, 1983. He served in that status until his death on November 3, 2009, in Palm Desert, California.{{cite web|url=http://www.wicourts.gov/news/view.jsp?id=146|title=Former justice Myron L. Gordon remembered as 'top-notch' jurist |publisher=Wisconsin Court System}}{{cite news|url=http://www.jsonline.com/news/obituaries/69080637.html|author=Don Walker |title=Gordon ruled in Milwaukee 14 case|newspaper=Milwaukee Journal Sentinel |date=November 4, 2009 |access-date=January 16, 2018}}
Personal life and family
Myron Gordon was a son of Jewish immigrants Samuel R. and Janet ({{nee}} Ruppa) Gordon. His father was born in Poland and his mother was born in Russia.{{Cite news|url= https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-wisconsin-jewish-chronicle-janet-rup/133442821/ |title= Janet Ruppa Gordon |newspaper= The Wisconsin Jewish Chronicle |date= August 11, 1967 |page= 2 |accessdate= October 14, 2023 |via= Newspapers.com }} Myron had one older brother, Norvan, who was a medical doctor in Milwaukee County.{{Cite news|url= https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-wisconsin-jewish-chronicle-samuel-r/133442900/ |title= Samuel R. Gordon |newspaper= The Wisconsin Jewish Chronicle |date= October 9, 1975 |page= 19 |accessdate= October 14, 2023 |via= Newspapers.com }}
Myron Gordon married Ruth Peggy Siesel on August 16, 1942.{{cite news|url= https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-capital-times-siesel-gordon-wedding/133441328/ |title= Siesel-Gordon |newspaper= The Capital Times |date= August 18, 1942 |page= 8 |accessdate= October 14, 2023 |via= Newspapers.com }} They had three children together before her death from post-surgical complications in 1973.{{cite news|url= https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-wisconsin-jewish-chronicle-peggy-gor/133440181/ |title= Mrs. Peggy Gordon |newspaper= The Wisconsin Jewish Chronicle |date= March 30, 1973 |page= 16 |accessdate= October 14, 2023 |via= Newspapers.com }} Gordon subsequently remarried, and was survived by his second wife, Myra.
Electoral history
=Wisconsin Circuit Court (1953)=
{{Election box begin | title=Wisconsin Circuit Courts, 2nd Circuit, Branch 1 Election, 1953 }}
| colspan="6" style="text-align:center;background-color: #e9e9e9;"| General Election, April 7, 1953
{{Election box winning candidate with party link|
|party = Nonpartisan politician
|candidate = Leo B. Hanley
|votes = 105,303
|percentage = 51.41%
|change = }}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Nonpartisan politician
|candidate = Myron L. Gordon
|votes = 99,546
|percentage = 48.59%
|change = }}
{{Election box plurality
|votes = 5,757
|percentage = 2.81%
|change =
}}
{{Election box total
|votes = 204,849
|percentage = 100.0%
|change =
}}
{{Election box end}}
=Wisconsin Circuit Court (1954, 1960)=
{{Election box begin | title=Wisconsin Circuit Courts, 2nd Circuit, Branch 3 Election, 1954 }}
| colspan="6" style="text-align:center;background-color: #e9e9e9;"| General Election, April 6, 1954
{{Election box winning candidate with party link|
|party = Nonpartisan politician
|candidate = Myron L. Gordon
|votes = 98,900
|percentage = 63.91%
|change = }}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Nonpartisan politician
|candidate = Elmer W. Roller (incumbent)
|votes = 55,837
|percentage = 36.09%
|change = }}
{{Election box plurality
|votes = 43,063
|percentage = 27.83%
|change =
}}
{{Election box total
|votes = 154,737
|percentage = 100.0%
|change =
}}
{{Election box end}}
{{Election box begin | title=Wisconsin Circuit Courts, 2nd Circuit, Branch 3 Election, 1960{{cite report|url= https://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/5BZZBS2FDP3LV8O |title=The Wisconsin Blue Book 1962 |year= 1962 |publisher= Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau |chapter= Wisconsin Elections |pages= [https://search.library.wisc.edu/digital/A5BZZBS2FDP3LV8O/full/AHXH57QH3I6SNH8G 870], [https://search.library.wisc.edu/digital/A5BZZBS2FDP3LV8O/full/AKKAJGRJ6G6WNJ8B 871], [https://search.library.wisc.edu/digital/A5BZZBS2FDP3LV8O/full/A7QFHWWZDG5WRV8T 872] |accessdate= April 8, 2023 }} }}
| colspan="6" style="text-align:center;background-color: #e9e9e9;"| General Election, April 5, 1960
{{Election box winning candidate with party link|
|party = Nonpartisan politician
|candidate = Myron L. Gordon
|votes = 246,695
|percentage = 100.0%
|change = }}
{{Election box total
|votes = 246,695
|percentage = 100.0%
|change =
}}
{{Election box end}}
=Wisconsin Supreme Court (1961)=
{{Election box begin | title=1961 Wisconsin Supreme Court election }}
| colspan="6" style="text-align:center;background-color: #e9e9e9;"| Nonpartisan Primary, March 7, 1961
{{Election box winning candidate with party link|
|party = Nonpartisan politician
|candidate = Stewart G. Honeck
|votes = 177,890
|percentage = 51.21%
|change = }}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link|
|party = Nonpartisan politician
|candidate = Myron L. Gordon
|votes = 145,270
|percentage = 41.82%
|change = }}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Nonpartisan politician
|candidate = Christ Alexopoulos
|votes = 24,230
|percentage = 6.97%
|change = }}
{{Election box total
|votes = 347,390
|percentage = 100.0%
|change =
}}
| colspan="6" style="text-align:center;background-color: #e9e9e9;"| General Election, April 4, 1961
{{Election box winning candidate with party link|
|party = Nonpartisan politician
|candidate = Myron L. Gordon
|votes = 399,408
|percentage = 52.16%
|change = }}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Nonpartisan politician
|candidate = Stewart G. Honeck
|votes = 366,390
|percentage = 47.84%
|change = }}
{{Election box plurality
|votes = 33,018
|percentage = 4.31%
|change =
}}
{{Election box total
|votes = 765,798
|percentage = 100.0%
|change =
}}
{{Election box end}}
References
{{Reflist}}
Sources
- {{FJC Bio|890|nid=1381391|name=Myron L. Gordon}}
{{s-start}}
{{s-legal}}
{{s-bef|before = Elmer W. Roller}}
{{s-ttl|title = Wisconsin Circuit Court Judge for the {{nowrap|2nd Circuit, Branch 3}}|years=January 4, 1955{{spnd}}January 1, 1962}}
{{s-aft|after = John A. Decker}}
|-
{{s-bef|before = John E. Martin}}
{{s-ttl|title = Justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court|years=January 1, 1962{{spnd}}March 4, 1967}}
{{s-aft|after = Connor Hansen}}
|-
{{s-non|reason = Seat established by 80 Stat. 75}}
{{s-ttl|title = {{nowrap|United States District Judge}} for the {{nowrap|Eastern District of Wisconsin}}|years= March 4, 1967{{spnd}}February 12, 1983}}
{{s-aft|after = Thomas John Curran}}
{{s-end}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gordon, Myron L.}}
Category:University of Wisconsin–Madison alumni
Category:Harvard Law School alumni
Category:Judges of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin
Category:United States district court judges appointed by Lyndon B. Johnson
Category:Politicians from Kenosha, Wisconsin
Category:Justices of the Wisconsin Supreme Court
Category:Wisconsin circuit court judges
Category:United States Navy officers
Category:Military personnel from Wisconsin
Category:United States Navy reservists