Alton b parker biography of william

At 33, he was, once again, the youngest person ever to hold the post. He has borne the burden of the fight, and proved himself a leader of very high quality. But Parker traveled to Washington and declined the offer, feeling that he could not afford to give up his more lucrative law practice.

Alton b parker biography of william: Alton Brooks Parker (May

Inwhen Parker was unanimously nominated by the party for a full year term, the Republicans chose not to run any candidate in opposition. Appointed at age 37, Judge Parker served in the Second Division until its dissolution three years later. During that time, he refused to consider Democratic Party suggestions that he run for Governor or for United States Senator.

Inwhen there was a run on the bank, Parker averted the crisis by pledging his word to the depositors that they would get their money.

Alton b parker biography of william: Alton B. Parker was an

The depositors accepted his pledge, and the bank was saved. Parker thereafter served as president of the bank, without pay, until the institution was on its feet. Flower to the General Term of the First Department, where he served until the creation of the Appellate Division in Parker then resumed his duties as a trial judge until the following year, when Governor Frank S.

Black designated him to temporarily replace Justice George C. Barrett of the Appellate Division, First Department, who had become ill. Election as Chief Judge Urged to run for Chief Judge of the Court of Appeals, Parker initially demurred, feeling that he was too much younger than the other judges to fittingly preside over them. Vannhowever, Parker finally relented, although he believed that his chances for election were small since the Democratic Party had lost the State in the recent presidential election by more thanvotes.

Next to yourself I was about the happiest man in the state yesterday. He continued his lifelong habit of conducting original research on each case to come before him, declining to rely simply on the citations provided by the lawyers. Faced with the prospect of winters in Albany, Parker decided with his wife to give up their Kingston home and move instead to the country.

It was then that he bought his beloved Rosemount, a acre estate on the banks of the Hudson River in Esopus, New York, where he would live for the rest of his life. Each day at Rosemount, Chief Judge Parker would rise atwalk down the grassy slope of his farm to the river, and dive from his dock for a swim. Then, regardless of the season, he would ride his horse for an hour, through his vineyards, fields, and orchards, often working out the details of his cases and opinions as he rode.

Judge Parker always put on evening dress for dinner. On Sunday mornings, the Parkers would take their little boat to Kingston to worship at the Episcopal Mission of the Holy Cross, where their son-in-law was the rector. Sunday afternoons Judge Parker would play with his two grandchildren, on whom he doted. Parker loved to receive visitors at Rosemount, as he delighted in showing people around his estate, taking great pride in his crops and prize bulls.

He sent grapes to friends and neighbors. An animal lover, Judge Parker was particularly partial to his pigs. He maintained that the intelligence of pigs was superior to that of other domestic animals, and derived pleasure from training them to answer to the sound of their names, to come to him whenever he was at the farm, and to play certain games that he had taught them.

Jurisprudence As Chief Judge, Parker quickly gained a reputation as a humanitarian and a progressive. He tended to side with unions, upholding their right to strike in Natl. Protective Assn. Thus, in People v. Perhaps his most famous, or infamous, was Roberson v. Rochester Folding Box Co. She sued, contending that her common-law right of privacy had been violated.

Over a vigorous dissent, Judge Parker, in a case of first impression, dismissed her claim, holding that no such right existed under New York law.

Alton b parker biography of william: Alton B. Parker was born

If legal redress were to be afforded for invasions of privacy, he concluded, a new cause of action would have to be recognized by the Legislature. The press denounced the result, calling for swift legislative action. Place,10 upheld the murder conviction of Martha Place. After examination by a committee of alienists, Mrs. Division within his party over currency issues and the popularity of incumbent Theodore Roosevelt led to Parker's landslide defeat.

Parker was unable to return to his former judicial position and practiced law for the rest of his life. There he became engaged to Mary Louise Schoonmaker, the daughter of a man who owned property near his school. After graduating with an LL. After a disorganized and ineffective campaign, Parker was defeated by electoral votes tocarrying only the traditionally Democratic Solid South.

He then returned to practicing law. He managed John A. Dix's successful campaign for Governor of New York and served as prosecution counsel for the impeachment of Dix's successor, Governor William Sulzer.

Alton b parker biography of william: Alton Brooks Parker was born

Parker's wife, Mary, died in He remarried in to Amelia Day "Amy" Campbell. On May 10,only a few days after recovering from bronchial pneumonia, Parker died from a heart attack while riding in his car through New York City's Central Park, four days before his 74th birthday. He then returned to Cortland Academy. After graduating with an LL. Inhe won election as surrogate court judge of Ulster County, and he was elected to a new six-year term in He served as a delegate to the and Democratic national conventions.

At the convention, he supported Cleveland, who was named the party's presidential nominee; Cleveland went on to narrowly defeat Republican James G. Blaine in the fall election. Hillmanaging Hill's gubernatorial campaign. The Republicans declined to nominate a candidate to run against Parker. He was considered to be pro-labor and was an active supporter of social reform legislation, for example upholding a maximum-hours law as constitutional.

His judicial opinions were noted "for their forceful diction, comprehensive grasp of the fundamental questions involved, unsparing labor in citing precedents, close reasoning, and their tendency to disregard merely technicalities. Sidway case, Parker held that forbearance voluntarily abstaining of legal rights on promises of future benefit made by other parties can constitute valid consideration for the purposes of forming a contract.

Parker's Hamer opinion also held that unilateral contracts were valid under New York law.