Preceded by Edwin J. Peterson Role Politician Name Wallace Carson, | Preceded by Arno H. Denecke Appointed by Victor G. Atiyeh Succeeded by Paul De Muniz | |
Born June 10, 1934 (age 89)
Salem, Oregon ( 1934-06-10 ) Education Stanford University, Willamette University College of Law, North Salem High School | ||
Judicial Independence
Wallace P. Carson Jr. (born June 10, 1934) is an American attorney and politician from Oregon. He has spent time in both of Oregon’s legislative branches and served on the Oregon Supreme Court for 24 years. Carson served for 14 years as Chief Justice of the court, which is the longest of any previous Chief Justice on the Oregon bench.
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Early life
Wallace P. Carson Jr. was born June 10, 1934, and raised in Salem, Oregon where his grandfather had started a law firm in 1889. He graduated from Salem High School (now North Salem High School) in 1952. Wallace graduated from Stanford University in Palo Alto, California with a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in 1956 where he was a brother of Phi Delta Theta. At Stanford he was in the Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC), which led to a commission in the United States Air Force. Carson Jr. then enrolled in Willamette University’s law school, graduating with his juris doctorate (J.D.) in 1962.
After graduation, he spent three years on active duty in the Air Force. Overall Carson Jr. was in the armed forces for 34 years, many with the Air Force Reserve and Oregon Air National Guard. While serving in the military he rose to the rank of brigadier general while serving as a Judge Advocate General's Corps (JAG) officer, ground control intercept officer, and jet pilot. This service took him to places such as Korea and Taiwan. Wallace P. Carson Jr. was in private legal practice from 1962 to 1977.
Political career
While still serving in the military and working in private practice, Wallace Carson was invited by Oregon Republican politician Bob Packwood to run for a seat in the Oregon house in 1966. There he served two terms, including one as majority leader. Then he was elected in 1970 to the state senate, and re-elected in 1974. He served as minority floor leader during his second term.
Judicial service
Carson began his career in the judicial branch of government following his years in the legislature with an appointment to the Marion County Circuit Court by Governor Robert W. Straub in 1977. Then in July 1982 Governor Vic Atiyeh appointed him to replace Justice Denecke on the Oregon Supreme Court. That fall he was elected to a full six-year term on the bench of the state’s highest court. He was re-elected in 1988, 1994, and 2000. He was chairperson of the Oregon Appellate Judges Association from 1989 to 1991.
While serving at the Oregon Supreme Court, Carson was elected by fellow justices to serve as Chief Justice from 1991 to 2005. He was the longest serving Chief Justice in Oregon's history, and about 94% of the decisions issued by the court under his tenure were unanimous decisions. While on the court he served as chairperson of the Commission on Appellate Court Performance Standards for the National Center for State Courts. Carson did not seek re-election in 2006. Virginia Linder was elected to the position he vacated.
Personal life
Since 1970 Carson has served on the Board of Trustees of Willamette University. He is currently a senior judge for the state, subject to temporary assignment as a judge on any court in the Oregon Judicial Department. He has been married to his wife, the former Gloria Stalk, for over 50 years. She was a year behind him in high school, and they met at a local pool, where he was swimming and she had been playing tennis.