|
a.
|
Note: y most of us as Uncle Will. As a youth Will guided a yoke of oxen over his father's farm. The long hours behind the plow on the silent prairie tended to make him studious and developed in him a love of nature. This love of nature existed throughout his life. He liked nothing better than to tramp through woods which is how he spent much of his time while vacationing in his summer cottage on Stuart Lake. He once said, "I suppose I like the woods because I was brought up on the prairie. A tree is almost sacred to me." Will took great pride in his vegetable garden and rose culture.
Will observed the many civic activities of his father. As a result, early in life he developed a deep interest in government. Since there was no high school in La Moure, Will went to Normal in Valley City. During his four years at Normal he gave American history and political science special attention in his studying. Like all Normal graduates at that time, he received a life teacher's certificate. He decided to pursue a career as a lawyer rather than teaching, though. He entered the University of North Dakota's law school.
In the University of law school Will manifested his special interest in government by taking three courses on the early government of the United States. He studied nearly every significant speech made in congress from the beginning of the nation and up to the Civil War. He studied each congressman, his community, and his background. He also studied the reasons for each congressman's statements and his influence on the early development of the government. During his study Will became intensely fascinated with John Marshall, great chief justice of the United States Supreme Court. In speaking of Justice Marshall, Will said, "He became my hero. I thought he had a great mind. I was impressed by his opinions and the manner in which he prepared them." In 1933 during the farm depression when the Judge Hutchinson handed down his noted opinion rejecting Gov. William Langer's mortgage foreclosure moratorium, he relied strongly on Marshall's theories. Judge Hutchinson said in effect that government and principles of government are not for good times only. He said, "Principles cannot be prostituted because we have a depression. They must stand regardless of the situation. The stability of government depends on it." When the north Dakota Holiday Association attacked his decision and began circulating recall petitions, the situation attracted national attention. Public opinion held he was right and the Holiday Assn., finding it difficult to get signatures on the petition, dropped the plan.
Will was admitted to the bar in 1907 and began practicing law in La Moure. He enjoyed a good practice and also served as city attorney and for six years as president of the board of education. At the age of 32 Will was selected by Gov. L.B. Hanna as a member of the board of trustees of the state university. Two years later in 1916, he was chosen state's attorney of La Moure county. He held this position until 1929 when Will was elevated to the position of district judge by Gov. George Shafer. Will explained his feelings about the judgeship as follows. "There is something in the nature of man that makes him want to put his ideas or ideals into practice. I think the motivating sentiment in my mind when I went on the bench was to see certain ideals of the profession carried out. I tried to do it." On many occasions he was called upon to fill in on the State Supreme Court bench.
In 1932 Will was elected president of the State Bar Association. The North Dakota Masons chose him as their grand master in 1936. He was also a national director of the American Judicature Society and a committeeman of the American Bar Association.
Will was very involved in community affairs as evidenced by the positions he held. His efforts did not end here, though. While in La Moure he aided in establishing the first park board and took an important role in beautifying the city with trees and shrubs. Will took the lead in creating the county Memorial Park at Grand Rapids, one of the first county parks established as a soldiers memorial in North Dakota. Will was too young to serve in the Spanish-American War and too old for World War I so he formed and led a war activities committee during World War I. At the end of the war, the committee found itself with a surplus of money. Will suggested the money be invested in a park to serve as a memorial to the soldiers who gave their lives in the war. Fifty acres of timber land making up an old picnic ground near Grand Rapids, North Dakota, were acquired on which an auditorium was built. In the early days chautauquas were conducted annually. Lecturers included such figures as William Jennings Bryan, William Howard Taft, and Billy Sunday.
Judge Hutchinson was probably one the first judges in the state to inaugurate pre-trial conference as a means of clarifying issues, eliminating non-essentials, and speeding litigation through the courts. The plan was later provided by law.
Judge Hutchinson reached a crisis in his life at the time of his most important criminal trail during the winter of 1948-49. He faced total loss of vision as he was approaching the end of his career. Few people knew that he had gone through life with vision in only one eye. The sight in one eye was destroyed during childhood. Shortly before a murder trail, he was trying a will contest. A cataract had developed in the good eye. He could undergo surgery but he couldn't be sure of the result. Harassed by thoughts of spending the rest of his life in darkness, he went on with the most important and most-publicized trial in his life. After the trail Will pursued his ordinary duties as best he could. He continued to hesitate over the question of surgery until he was virtually blind. In 1952 Will submitted to surgery. The cataract removal was successful. Most of the above material came from an article written about Judge William H. Hutchinson at the time of his retirement appearing in The Fargo Forum, Feb. 5, 1956.
Will married Mabel Stewart in the home of her parents in Fargo on June 24, 1910. They had both been in the same class at Valley City Normal. Their union was blessed with one daughter, Ann. Will and Mabel also raised Grace Stewart, Mabel's niece, after the death of Grace's parents.
The author remembers the respect everyone afforded to Will. I always looked forward to visiting with him during our stays at "the lake." I enjoyed his sense of humor as well as his knowledge. I remember on one of my early birthdays that he picked me up and took me to the edge of the lake and threatened to throw me in. Will enjoyed teasing that way and I enjoyed it, too. I remember listening to conversations between Will and my grandmother, Margaret. Often she was asking him for advice.
William Henry Hutchinson was an outstanding citizen of North Dakota and the United States. His life is a tremendous example of devotion to family and to his chosen profession.
William Henry Hutchinson was named after his grandfather but known by most of us as Uncle Will. As a youth Will guided a yoke of oxen over his father's farm. The long hours behind the plow on the silent prairie tended to make him studious and developed in him a love of nature. This love of nature existed throughout his life. He liked nothing better than to tramp through woods which is how he spent much of his time while vacationing in his summer cottage on Stuart Lake. He once said, "I suppose I like the woods because I was brought up on the prairie. A tree is almost sacred to me." Will took great pride in his vegetable garden and rose culture.
Will observed the many civic activities of his father. As a result, early in life he developed a deep interest in government. Since there was no high school in La Moure, Will went to Normal in Valley City. During his four years at Normal he gave American history and political science special attention in his studying. Like all Normal graduates at that time, he received a life teacher's certificate. He decided to pursue a career as a lawyer rather than teaching, though. He entered the University of North Dakota's law school.
In the University of law school Will manifested his special interest in government by taking three courses on the early government of the United States. He studied nearly every significant speech made in congress from the beginning of the nation and up to the Civil War. He studied each congressman, his community, and his background. He also studied the reasons for each congressman's statements and his influence on the early development of the government. During his study Will became intensely fascinated with John Marshall, great chief justice of the United States Supreme Court. In speaking of Justice Marshall, Will said, "He became my hero. I thought he had a great mind. I was impressed by his opinions and the manner in which he prepared them." In 1933 during the farm depression when the Judge Hutchinson handed down his noted opinion rejecting Gov. William Langer's mortgage foreclosure moratorium, he relied strongly on Marshall's theories. Judge Hutchinson said in effect that government and principles of government are not for good times only. He said, "Principles cannot be prostituted because we have a depression. They must stand regardless of the situation. The stability of government depends on it." When the north Dakota Holiday Association attacked his decision and began circulating recall petitions, the situation attracted national attention. Public opinion held he was right and the Holiday Assn., finding it difficult to get signatures on the petition, dropped the plan.
Will was admitted to the bar in 1907 and began practicing law in La Moure. He enjoyed a good practice and also served as city attorney and for six years as president of the board of education. At the age of 32 Will was selected by Gov. L.B. Hanna as a member of the board of trustees of the state university. Two years later in 1916, he was chosen state's attorney of La Moure county. He held this position until 1929 when Will was elevated to the position of district judge by Gov. George Shafer. Will explained his feelings about the judgeship as follows. "There is something in the nature of man that makes him want to put his ideas or ideals into practice. I think the motivating sentiment in my mind when I went on the bench was to see certain ideals of the profession carried out. I tried to do it." On many occasions he was called upon to fill in on the State Supreme Court bench.
In 1932 Will was elected president of the State Bar Association. The North Dakota Masons chose him as their grand master in 1936. He was also a national director of the American Judicature Society and a committeeman of the American Bar Association.
Will was very involved in community affairs as evidenced by the positions he held. His efforts did not end here, though. While in La Moure he aided in establishing the first park board and took an important role in beautifying the city with trees and shrubs. Will took the lead in creating the county Memorial Park at Grand Rapids, one of the first county parks established as a soldiers memorial in North Dakota. Will was too young to serve in the Spanish-American War and too old for World War I so he formed and led a war activities committee during World War I. At the end of the war, the committee found itself with a surplus of money. Will suggested the money be invested in a park to serve as a memorial to the soldiers who gave their lives in the war. Fifty acres of timber land making up an old picnic ground near Grand Rapids, North Dakota, were acquired on which an auditorium was built. In the early days chautauquas were conducted annually. Lecturers included such figures as William Jennings Bryan, William Howard Taft, and Billy Sunday.
Judge Hutchinson was probably one the first judges in the state to inaugurate pre-trial conference as a means of clarifying issues, eliminating non-essentials, and speeding litigation through the courts. The plan was later provided by law.
Judge Hutchinson reached a crisis in his life at the time of his most important criminal trail during the winter of 1948-49. He faced total loss of vision as he was approaching the end of his career. Few people knew that he had gone through life with vision in only one eye. The sight in one eye was destroyed during childhood. Shortly before a murder trail, he was trying a will contest. A cataract had developed in the good eye. He could undergo surgery but he couldn't be sure of the result. Harassed by thoughts of spending the rest of his life in darkness, he went on with the most important and most-publicized trial in his life. After the trail Will pursued his ordinary duties as best he could. He continued to hesitate over the question of surgery until he was virtually blind. In 1952 Will submitted to surgery. The cataract removal was successful. Most of the above material came from an article written about Judge William H. Hutchinson at the time of his retirement appearing in The Fargo Forum, Feb. 5, 1956.
Will married Mabel Stewart in the home of her parents in Fargo on June 24, 1910. They had both been in the same class at Valley City Normal. Their union was blessed with one daughter, Ann. Will and Mabel also raised Grace Stewart, Mabel's niece, after the death of Grace's parents.
The author remembers the respect everyone afforded to Will. I always looked forward to visiting with him during our stays at "the lake." I enjoyed his sense of humor as well as his knowledge. I remember on one of my early birthdays that he picked me up and took me to the edge of the lake and threatened to throw me in. Will enjoyed teasing that way and I enjoyed it, too. I remember listening to conversations between Will and my grandmother, Margaret. Often she was asking him for advice.
William Henry Hutchinson was an outstanding citizen of North Dakota and the United States. His life is a tremendous example of devotion to family and to his chosen profession.
Note: William Henry Hutchinson was named after his grandfather but known b
|
