Chief Justice Louis Wescott Myers

Chief Justice Louis Wescott Myers

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Wescott_Myers
• https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/136586580/louis_westcott_myers

Louis Wescott Myers was the 20th Chief Justice of California.

Education and Judicial Career

Myers was born in Lake Mills, Wisconsin, to Jesse Hall Myers and Elizabeth Louise Wescott. Myers was educated in the public schools, and earned a bachelor's and a law degree at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he was Phi Beta Kappa.

He practiced law first in Madison, Wisconsin, with the firm of Spooner, Sanborn & Kerr, and afterwards for several years in Chicago, Illinois with Jesse A. and Henry R. Baldwin. In 1898, he moved to Los Angeles, California and maintained a law firm. In 1913, he was appointed to a vacancy on the Los Angeles County Superior Court. He was elected in 1914 and re-elected in 1920

On January 15, 1923, Governor William Stephens appointed Myers as Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of California to fill a vacancy when Curtis D. Wilbur was named chief justice. In April 1924, Governor Friend Richardson named Myers as Chief Justice to again replace Wilbur, who became the Secretary of the Navy. In October 1924, Myers ran unopposed and was elected for the remainder of Curtis' term, until January 1927. Myers served in that post until resigning as of January 1, 1926.

O'Melveny & Myers

Following his tenure as Chief Justice, Myers joined a Los Angeles law firm run by Henry W. O'Melveny. Myers's name was added to the firm, which by 1939 became known as O'Melveny & Myers. He specialized in appellate practice. In 1938, Myers argued before the U.S. Supreme Court on behalf of Mackay Radio the case of NLRB v. Mackay Radio & Telegraph Co., 304 U.S. 333 (1938).

Honors and Awards

In 1925, Myers received an honorary degree of LL.D. from the University of Southern California. In 1926, he was awarded another honorary degree by the University of California.

Personal Life

On November 27, 1901, he married Blanche Brown of Michigan; they had at least two children: Elizabeth Myers and test pilot John Wescott Myers.

Louis was an avid fisherman, and in 1951 published a short book, An Incompleat Angler

NOTE: O’Melveny & Myers, now know as O’Melveny, has 800 attorneys in 18 offices around the world.
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SAN FRANCISCO, April B.—Associate Justice Louis W. Myers of the state supreme court was named chief Justice of that tribunal by Governor Friend Richardson here today to succeed Justice Curtis D. Wilbur, who was named recently as secretary of the U.S. Navy.

The new chief justice has been on the supreme bench since January, 1923, when he was appointed by Governor Richardson from the superior court bench of Los Angeles county to succeed to the associate judgeship vacated by Justice y Wilbur when he became chief justice. Chief Justice Myers was born in Wisconsin and graduated from the law school of the University of Wisconsin in 1895. He practiced for a time in Chicago and came to Los Angeles in 1898. He was appointed toa superior court vacancy in 1913, and was elected to the post in 1914 and again in 1920.

Chief Justice Myers will serve until next November, when an election will be held to fill the unexpired term of the chief justice, which runs until January, 1927. ‘‘The selection of a chief justice is the most important duty I have faced." Governor Richardson said in appointing Justice Myers. "This duty has been doubly difficult because of the high standing, great energy and legal learning of Chief Justice Wilbur, who resigned. I have, I believe, in selecting Louis W. Myers, found a man who will measure up to the high standing of i his predecessor and do great service to the people.”

SOURCE: Madera Mercury, Number 17, 9 April 1924