William H. Seevers
{{Short description|American judge (1820–1895)}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific_prefix =
| name = William Seevers
| image =
| alt =
| caption =
| office = Chief Justice of the Iowa Supreme Court
| term_start1 = 1876, 1877
| term_end1 = December 31, 1888
| successor1 = Joseph R. Reed
| office2 = Associate Justice of the Iowa Supreme Court
| term_start2 = February 17, 1876
| term_end2 = December 31, 1888
| predecessor2 = Chester C. Cole
| successor2 = Charles T. Granger
| office3 = Member of the 16th General Assembly of the Iowa House
| term_start3 = January 10, 1876
| term_end3 = February 17, 1876
| office4 = Judge of Iowa's 3rd District Court
| term_start4 = 1852
| term_end4 = 1857
| office5 = Member of the 21st District of the Iowa House
| term_start5 = January 12, 1858
| term_end5 = January 8, 1860
| birth_date = {{birth date|1822|4|8}}{{cite web|url=https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/publications/HD/922748.pdf|title=W. H. Seevers PDF |publisher=Iowa Legislative Branch|page=1|date= May 23, 2010|access-date=February 6, 2025}}
| birth_place = Shenandoah County, Virginia, U.S.
| death_date = {{death date and age|1895|3|25|1822|4|8}}
| death_place = Oskaloosa, Iowa, U.S.
| spouse = {{marriage|Caroline Malinda Lee|February 20, 1849}}
}}
William Henry Seevers (1820–1895) was an Associate Justice and Chief Justice of the Iowa Supreme Court.{{cite web |url=http://www.iowacourts.gov/wfdata/frame1206-1434/pressrel21.asp |title=Past Iowa Supreme Court Justices |publisher=Iowa Judicial Branch |date= |access-date=February 15, 2015}}
Early Life
Seevers was born in 1822 to James and Rebecca (Wilkins) Seevers in Shenandoah County, Virginia.{{cite web|url=https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/publications/HD/922748.pdf|title=Past and Present of Mahaska County|publisher= Manoah Hedge|page=11-12|date= May 23, 2010|access-date=February 6, 2025}} He was one of 10 children.{{cite web|url=https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/publications/HD/922748.pdf|title= Recollections and Sketches of Notable Lawyers and Public Men of Early Iowa |publisher=Iowa Legislative Branch|page=8|date= May 23, 2010|access-date=February 6, 2025}} James was a Private in the War of 1812. In Clarke County, Virginia, he began to read law.
James moved his family to Mahaska County, Iowa in 1843. William followed on June 22, 1844.
Legal Career
He was admitted to the bar in Mahaska County in 1846. He was one of the first lawyers in Mahaska County.
After being admitted to the bar he joined the practice of William T. Smith until 1852. He then partnered with his brother, James, under the name of William H. and James A. Seevers. Several years later, M. T. Williams joined their firm. During the Civil War, his brother joined the military, the firm was renamed "Seevers and Williams". Later, after the dissolution of that firm, he partnered with M. E. Cutts until Seevers joined the State Supreme Court.
From 1848 to 1851, he was chosen to be a Prosecuting Attorney.
In 1873, he was chosen to be a Code Commissioner to revise the laws of Iowa. This revised edition would be the Code of 1873.
Judicial Career
In 1852 he was elected to be a District Court Judge until 1857.
He joined the Iowa State Supreme Court from February 17, 1876, to December 31, 1888, being appointed from Mahaska County, Iowa. He was also Chief Justice in 1876, 1882 and 1888.
Political Career
He was elected to the Iowa House in the 1856 general election. He represented the district consisting Poweshiek County and Mahaska. He became the Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee.
In 1872, he was a delegate for the Republican National Committee.
In 1875, he was re-elected to the Iowa House, but resigned shortly after to accept appointment to the State Supreme Court.{{cite web|url=https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/publications/HD/922748.pdf|title= Recollections and Sketches of Notable Lawyers and Public Men of Early Iowa |publisher=Iowa Legislative Branch|page=9|date= May 23, 2010|access-date=February 6, 2025}}
Personal life
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924035852/http://www.iowacourts.gov/wfdata/frame1206-1434/pressrel21.asp|title=Iowa Judicial Branch Past Iowa Supreme Court Justices page for William H. Seevers}}
- [https://www.legis.iowa.gov/legislators/legislator?ga=16&personID=4788 Representative William Henry Seevers (Both Terms)]
- [https://www.legis.iowa.gov/legislators/legislator?ga=16&personID=4788 Representative William Henry Seevers (Second Term in 1876)]
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{{succession box
|title=Justice of the Iowa Supreme Court
|before=Chester C. Cole
|after=Charles T. Granger
|years=1876–1888}}
{{s-end}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Seevers, William H.}}
Category:Justices of the Iowa Supreme Court
Category:19th-century American judges
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