American judge (1882–1955)
William Erwin Lee (January 27, 1882 – December 5, 1955)[ 1] was an American attorney and justice of the Idaho Supreme Court from 1922 to 1930, serving as chief justice from 1926 to 1929.
Biography
Born in North Carolina , Lee graduated from the University of Idaho in Moscow in 1903,[ 1] and studied law at the University of Washington in Seattle . He received his law degree from the National University School of Law in Washington, D.C. , passed the bar in 1906, and returned to Moscow to practice law. He entered into a partnership there with C. J. Orland, under the firm name of Orland & Lee, the firm "building up a lucrative practice".[ 2] During World War I , he served in the U.S. Army in the judge advocate corps .[ 3] In August 1922, Lee was nominated by the Republican Party as their candidate for a seat on the state supreme court,[ 2] [ 4] and was elected in November.[ 5]
Re-elected in 1928, Lee was appointed to the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) by President Herbert Hoover in January 1930 and left the court.[ 3] He served as chair for a time,[ 1] and remained on the commission until he reached the mandatory retirement age in 1953.[ 6] He died at age 73 in December 1955 and was buried in Arlington National Cemetery .
References
^ a b c "Ex-ICC Chief Dies", The Idaho Statesman (December 7, 1955), p. 1.
^ a b "William E. Lee Is Nominated for Justice of Idaho Supreme Court ", The Daily Star-Mirror (August 24, 1922), p. 1.
^ a b "Judge Lee gets commerce post" . Lewiston Morning Tribune . (Idaho). Associated Press. January 10, 1930. p. 1.
^ "Ticket named by convention" . Lewiston Morning Tribune . (Idaho). August 24, 1922. p. 1.
^ "Moore vote be 9,000 over all" . Lewiston Morning Tribune . (Idaho). November 9, 1922. p. 1.
^ "Jurists to Confer On Federal Post", The Twin Falls Times-News (May 4, 1953), p. 1.
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