John McDill Fox

From "History of Milwaukee, city and county""

John McDill Fox, professor of law in Marquette University, was born in Milwaukee, January 3, 1891. He is a son of Dr. William Fox and a grandnephew of William Fox, who was one of the signers of the first constitution of the state. Dr. William Fox was born in Oregon, Dane county. Wisconsin, and became one of the prominent physicians of his time, steadily advancing to a position of leadership in connection with the practice of medicine and surgery in this state. He died in April, 1897, at the age of fifty-two years. His wife, who bore the maiden name of Narcissa McDill, was born in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, a daughter of Alexander S. McDill, former member of con- gress from Wisconsin. He was also superintendent of the institution for the insane at Madison both before and after his term in congress. As a physician he specialized in nervous diseases and was one of the first alienists in this country. His daughter, Mrs. Fox, passed away November 12, 1920.

John McDill Fox was a pupil in the public schools of Milwaukee to the age of nine years, when he went to Notre Dame University, entering the preparatory school, and when fourteen years of age became a university student there. He was graduated in 1909 with the Bachelor of Arts degree and afterward taught in St. Edward's College in Austin, Texas, for a year or more. Entering the Harvard Law School, he was there graduated in 1914 but prior to his graduation was admitted upon examination to the Massachusetts bar. He belonged to the John Marshall Law Club at Harvard and he was one of the organizers and the secretary of the Wisconsin Club at Harvard University.

In the fall of 1914 Mr. Fox entered the office of Whipple. Sears & Ogden in Boston and there remained for a year. He left that firm to engage in admiralty practice alone in Boston and in 1916 he returned to Milwaukee, after which he was admitted to practice at the Wisconsin bar in the month of July. Here he took up the active work of the profession and has since specialized in admiralty law. In the spring of 1919 he was made special lecturer on maritime law at the Marquette University, being the first instructor to give a full course of maritime law in Wisconsin. In the fall of 1919 he was made a full professor of law in Marquette.

In June. 1914, Mr. Fox was married to Miss Elsa Sonnemann, a daughter of Richard Sonnemann, a tobacco manufacturer of Neenah, Wisconsin, who was born in Germany, as was his daughter. Mrs. Fox. She came to Wisoonsin with her parents when a young girl of twelve or thirteen years. Her maternal grandfather was at one time postmaster general of Berlin. Mr. and Mrs. Fox have become parents of three children: Narcissa, Elinor and Eileen.

In politics Mr. Fox maintains an independent course but votes in the republican primaries. He has not been active in political work nor has he ever been a candidate for office. His religious belief is that of the Catholic church and he attends the cathedral, while Mrs. Fox is a member of the Lutheran church. Mr. Fox has member- ship in Pere Marquette Council. No. .5-'. of the Knights of Columbus of Milwaukee and he also belongs to the Harvard Club of Milwaukee. He is greatly interested in the question of public water improvements and he keeps well informed on all the vital civic problems of the day, giving his support at all times to those questions which he deems a matter of value to the community at large.