Melville Fuller

Melville Fuller
File:FULLER, MELVILLE W. CHIEF JUSTICE LCCN2016857465.jpg: Harris & Ewing, photo · Public domain · source
Name	Melville Fuller
Birth date	February 11, 1833
Birth place	Augusta, Maine
Death date	July 4, 1910
Death place	Sorrento, Maine

Melville Fuller was an American jurist who served as the Chief Justice of the United States from 1888 to 1910, appointed by President Grover Cleveland. During his tenure, the Supreme Court of the United States decided several landmark cases, including Plessy v. Ferguson, Lochner v. New York, and United States v. E.C. Knight Company. Fuller's judicial philosophy was influenced by his experiences as a lawyer in Chicago, Illinois, where he worked with prominent attorneys like Stephen A. Douglas and Abraham Lincoln. He was also a member of the Illinois State Bar Association and the American Bar Association.

● Early Life and Education

Melville Fuller was born in Augusta, Maine, to Frederick Augustus Fuller and Catherine Martin Fuller. He attended Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine, where he studied classics and philosophy under the tutelage of Professor Alpheus Spring Packard. After graduating in 1853, Fuller moved to New York City to study law at the Columbia Law School, where he was influenced by the teachings of Professor Theodore Dwight. He later transferred to the Harvard Law School, but did not graduate, instead choosing to pursue a career in politics and law in Chicago, Illinois, where he became friends with Robert Todd Lincoln, son of Abraham Lincoln.

● Career

Fuller began his career as a lawyer in Chicago, Illinois, where he worked with prominent attorneys like Lyman Trumbull and David Davis. He became involved in politics and was a member of the Democratic Party, supporting candidates like Stephen A. Douglas and Abraham Lincoln. Fuller served in the Illinois House of Representatives from 1863 to 1864 and was a delegate to the 1864 Democratic National Convention, which nominated General George B. McClellan for President of the United States. He later became a close friend and advisor to President Grover Cleveland, who appointed him to the Supreme Court of the United States in 1888.

● Judicial Service

As Chief Justice of the United States, Fuller presided over the Supreme Court of the United States during a period of significant change and upheaval, including the Spanish-American War and the Philippine-American War. He was a strong advocate for states' rights and limited government, and his judicial philosophy was influenced by the teachings of Alexander Hamilton and John Marshall. Fuller worked closely with other prominent judges, including John Harlan, David Josiah Brewer, and Henry Billings Brown, to shape the court's decisions on issues like civil rights, labor law, and antitrust law. He also played a key role in the development of the Federal Judiciary Act of 1887, which established the United States Courts of Appeals.

● Notable Cases

During his tenure, the Supreme Court of the United States decided several landmark cases, including Plessy v. Ferguson, which upheld the constitutionality of segregation in public transportation; Lochner v. New York, which struck down a New York State law regulating working hours; and United States v. E.C. Knight Company, which limited the power of the federal government to regulate interstate commerce. Fuller also presided over cases like Pollock v. Farmers' Loan & Trust Co., which declared the income tax unconstitutional, and Insular Cases, which established the doctrine of territorial incorporation. Other notable cases included DeLima v. Bidwell, Downes v. Bidwell, and Gonzales v. Williams.

● Personal Life and Legacy

Fuller was married to Calantha Pierce Melville Fuller and had six children, including Melville Weston Fuller and Calantha Fuller. He was a member of the Episcopal Church and served on the board of Trinity Church in Chicago, Illinois. After his retirement from the Supreme Court of the United States, Fuller returned to Sorrento, Maine, where he died on July 4, 1910. His legacy as a jurist and statesman has been recognized by the American Bar Association, which established the Melville Fuller Award in his honor. Fuller's papers are housed at the Library of Congress and the University of Chicago Law School, and his legacy continues to be studied by scholars at institutions like Harvard University, Yale University, and Stanford University. Category:American judges