Samuel Alschuler (original) (raw)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

American judge

This article is about Samuel Alschuler, a federal judge on the United States Court of Appeals. For Washington state and California businessman, see Samuel Altshuler.

Samuel Alschuler
Senior Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
In officeMay 15, 1936 – November 9, 1939
Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
In officeAugust 16, 1915 – May 15, 1936
Appointed by Woodrow Wilson
Preceded by Peter S. Grosscup
Succeeded by Walter Emanuel Treanor
Personal details
Born Samuel Alschuler(1859-11-20)November 20, 1859Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Died November 9, 1939(1939-11-09) (aged 79)
Political party Democratic
Relatives George Alschuler (brother)
Education Read law

Samuel Alschuler (November 20, 1859 – November 9, 1939) was a United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit.

Samuel Alschuler was born November 20, 1859 Chicago, Illinois. A member of a civically-engaged family German-Jewish family, his brother George also served in the Illinois House of Representatives and another brother, Benjamin, was a judge of the Illinois Court of Claims.[1] Alschuler was raised in Aurora, Illinois. After graduating from Aurora High School, Alschuler spent some time as a general store clerk, he read law and was admitted to the Illinois Bar.[1]

[edit]

He was in private practice in Aurora, in partnership with J. C. Murphy, a former US Attorney for the District of Dakota Territory, under the firm name of Alschuler & Murphy.[2] In the 1892 United States House of Representatives elections, Alschuler was the Democratic nominee for Illinois's 5th congressional district, then a staunchly Republican district anchored by Kane County. Unsuccessful in the 1892 election, on July 15, 1893, Governor John Peter Altgeld appointed him a member of the State Commission of Claims.[3] He was elected to the Illinois House of Representatives in the 1896 general election. In his first term, Alschuler served in a role analogous to a floor leader.[2] In his second term, he was the chairman of the Democratic Steering Committee.[4] In 1900 Illinois gubernatorial election, Alschuler was the Democratic nominee against Republican candidate Richard Yates Jr.. Yates defeated Alschuler by a narrow 5.43% margin.[5] Shortly after the gubernatorial election, he was the Democratic nominee for appointment by the Illinois General Assembly to the United States Senate, but on January 22, 1901, the Republican-majority elected Republican incumbent Shelby Moore Cullom for another six-year term.[6] He continued in private practice in Chicago until 1915.[7][8]

Federal judicial service

[edit]

Alschuler received a recess appointment from President Woodrow Wilson on August 16, 1915, to a seat on the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit vacated by Judge Peter S. Grosscup. He was nominated to the same position by President Wilson on January 7, 1916. He was confirmed by the United States Senate on January 18, 1916, and received his commission the same day. He was a member of the Conference of Senior Circuit Judges (now the Judicial Conference of the United States) from 1924 to 1934. He assumed senior status on May 15, 1936. His service terminated on November 9, 1939, due to his death.[7]

Alschuler was appointed to arbitrate between meatpacking unions in Chicago and employers after the President's Mediation Commission intervened in November 1917.[9] From 1922 to 1923, Alschuler served on the new Federal Coal Commission.[10]

  1. ^ a b Solomon, Rayman L. (1981). History of the Seventh Circuit, 1891-1941. Bicentennial Committee Judicial Conference of the United States. Retrieved December 28, 2023 – via Google Books.
  2. ^ a b Pickerring, J. L. (1897). Official Directory of the General Assembly of Illinois, 1897. Springfield, Illinois: Press of the Illinois State Register. p. 36. Retrieved September 8, 2022.
  3. ^ Official Directory of the General Assembly of Illinois, 1897. p. 99. Retrieved March 31, 2024.
  4. ^ Pickering, J. L. (1899). Official Directory of the General Assembly of Illinois, 1899. Springfield, Illinois: Press of the Illinois State Register. p. 55. Retrieved March 31, 2024.
  5. ^ Compiled by James A. Rose, Secretary of State (1900). Official vote of the State of Illinois cast at the General Election, November 6, 1900. Springfield, Illinois: Phillips Bros., State Printers.
  6. ^ The Tribune Almanac and Political Register 1902. New York: The Tribune Association. 1902. p. 297.
  7. ^ a b Samuel Alschuler at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a publication of the Federal Judicial Center.
  8. ^ 'Official Directory of the General Assembly of Illinois 1897,' Biographical Sketch of Samuel Alschuler, pg. 36
  9. ^ McCartin, Joseph A.Labor's Great War: The Struggle for Industrial Democracy and the Origins of Modern American Labor Relations, 1912-1921. The University of North Carolina Press. 1997. p. 83
  10. ^ "Huge. Distillery with Tuinel Feature Discovered on Police Raid--Explorer Cook Arrested". Chicago Tribune. February 2, 1923. Retrieved July 18, 2017.
Party political offices
Preceded byJohn Peter Altgeld Democratic nominee for Governor of Illinois 1900 Succeeded byLawrence B. Stringer
Legal offices
Preceded byPeter S. Grosscup Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit 1915–1936 Succeeded byWalter Emanuel Treanor