Name Erskine Ross Preceded by new position | Spouse Ynez Bettis Preceded by new position Role Jurist | |
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Education Virginia Military Institute | ||
Erskine Mayo Ross (June 30, 1845 – December 10, 1928) was an American attorney and jurist from California. He served as a judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in from 1895 until 1928, having assumed senior status in 1925. A native of Virginia, previously he was a judge for the United States District Court for the Southern District of California and the Supreme Court of California. He is also one of the three founding fathers of the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity.
Contents
- Early life
- Legal and judicial career in California
- Bequest creating Ross Essay Contest
- Personal life
- References
Early life
Erskine M. Ross was born in Belpre, Virginia, on June 30, 1845, in Culpeper County. He attended the Virginia Military Institute, leaving school twice during the Civil War to assist the Confederate States Army and then returning for further training, graduating in 1864.
Legal and judicial career in California
In 1868, he moved to Los Angeles, California, and joined the law office of his uncle, Cameron E. Thom, a prominent lawyer and former state senator who would later serve as Mayor of Los Angeles. After studying law at Thom's office for two years, Ross was admitted to the bar of the district court. In 1875, he joined the bar of the state supreme court, having already become wealthy and famous through his partnership with his uncle.
In October 1879, when adoption of a new constitution required elections for all court seats, he was elected to the Supreme Court of California and began his term on January 5, 1880. A Democrat, he was elected at age 34 without having served on the bench of any lower court. The newly elected justices drew lots to determine their length of term, and both he and John Sharpstein drew three-year terms. In October 1882, Ross was re-elected on the Democratic ticket along with Sharpstein to a 12-year term on the high court. In November 1885, he announced his plans to resign to return to private practice with law partner Stephen M. White effective January 1, 1886. Instead, Ross delayed his resignation and stayed on the court until October 1, 1886.
On December 16, 1886, Ross was nominated to a newly created position on the United States District Court for the Southern District of California by United States President Grover Cleveland. The United States Senate confirmed him for the seat on January 13, 1887, and he received his federal court commission that same day. He served on that court for eight years.
Ross was nominated on February 19, 1895 to a newly created position on the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit by Grover Cleveland, and he was confirmed and received his commission on February 22, 1895. He assumed senior status on May 31, 1925 and served until his death on December 10, 1928.
Bequest creating Ross Essay Contest
In his will, Ross bequeathed $100,000 to endow an essay contest administered by the American Bar Association. The essay contest spawned a well-known tax case, in which a winner avoided paying income tax on his prize money. Congress later amended the tax code so that such winnings would be taxed. The topic for the 2009 Ross Essay Contest is Write an open letter to the new president and Congress describing the most important priority for improving the U.S. justice system.
Personal life
Ross married twice. On May 7, 1874, he wed Inez Hannah Bettis. In 1875, they had one son, Robert Erskine Ross. Inez died December 12, 1907, and in June 1909 Ross remarried to Ida Haraszphy Hancock, a wealthy widow in Los Angeles.