Benjamin C. Hilliard
Encyclopedia
Benjamin Clark Hilliard (January 9, 1868 - August 7, 1951) was a U.S. Representative
from Colorado
, and a two-time chief justice
of the Supreme Court of Colorado.
Born near Osceola, Iowa
, Hilliard attended the public schools of Iowa
and Kansas
. He taught school in Kansas. He graduated from the University of Iowa College of Law
in 1891. He was admitted to the bar
the same year and commenced practice in Kansas City, Missouri
. He moved to Denver, Colorado
, in 1893. He served as city attorney
of Highlands, Colorado, in 1896 and 1897, as county attorney
of Elbert County, Colorado
from 1897 to 1907, and as county attorney of Grand County, Colorado
1909-1913. He served as member of the Colorado House of Representatives in 1902. He served as member of the Denver Board of Education 1900-1902 from 1904 to 1909, and 1913-1917.
Hilliard was elected as a Democrat
to the Sixty-fourth
and Sixty-fifth
Congresses (March 4, 1915-March 3, 1919). He was not a candidate for renomination in 1918. He resumed the practice of law.
Hilliard was elected justice of the Supreme Court of Colorado in 1930 and served as chief justice in 1939 and 1940. He was reelected in 1940 and again in 1950. He again became chief justice in January 1949. He died in Denver, Colorado
, August 7, 1951. He was interred in Crown Hill Cemetery.
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
from Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
, and a two-time chief justice
Chief Justice
The Chief Justice in many countries is the name for the presiding member of a Supreme Court in Commonwealth or other countries with an Anglo-Saxon justice system based on English common law, such as the Supreme Court of Canada, the Constitutional Court of South Africa, the Court of Final Appeal of...
of the Supreme Court of Colorado.
Born near Osceola, Iowa
Osceola, Iowa
Osceola is a city in Clarke County, Iowa, United States. The population was 4,659 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Clarke County.-Geography:Osceola is located at , at the junction of Interstate 35 and U.S. Routes 34 and 69...
, Hilliard attended the public schools of Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
and Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
. He taught school in Kansas. He graduated from the University of Iowa College of Law
University of Iowa College of Law
The University of Iowa College of Law is one of the eleven professional graduate schools at the University of Iowa, located in Iowa City, Iowa. Founded in 1865, it is the oldest law school in continuous operation west of the Mississippi River. The law school was ranked as the 27th best law school...
in 1891. He was admitted to the bar
Admission to the bar in the United States
In the United States, admission to the bar is the granting of permission by a particular court system to a lawyer to practice law in that system. Each U.S. state and similar jurisdiction has its own court system and sets its own rules for bar admission , which can lead to different admission...
the same year and commenced practice in Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
. He moved to Denver, Colorado
Denver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
, in 1893. He served as city attorney
City attorney
A city attorney can be an elected or appointed position in city and municipal government in the United States. The city attorney is the attorney representing the city or municipality....
of Highlands, Colorado, in 1896 and 1897, as county attorney
County attorney
A county attorney in many areas of the United States is the chief legal officer for a county or local judicial district. It is usually an elected position...
of Elbert County, Colorado
Elbert County, Colorado
Elbert County is the 21st most populous of the 64 counties of the State of Colorado of the United States. The county population was 19,872 at U.S. Census 2000. The county seat is Kiowa...
from 1897 to 1907, and as county attorney of Grand County, Colorado
Grand County, Colorado
Grand County is the 21st largest of the 64 counties of the State of Colorado of the United States. The county population was 12,442 at U.S. Census 2000...
1909-1913. He served as member of the Colorado House of Representatives in 1902. He served as member of the Denver Board of Education 1900-1902 from 1904 to 1909, and 1913-1917.
Hilliard was elected as a Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
to the Sixty-fourth
64th United States Congress
The Sixty-fourth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, DC from March 4, 1915 to March 4, 1917, during the third and fourth...
and Sixty-fifth
65th United States Congress
The Sixty-fifth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, DC from March 4, 1917 to March 4, 1919, during the fourth and fifth...
Congresses (March 4, 1915-March 3, 1919). He was not a candidate for renomination in 1918. He resumed the practice of law.
Hilliard was elected justice of the Supreme Court of Colorado in 1930 and served as chief justice in 1939 and 1940. He was reelected in 1940 and again in 1950. He again became chief justice in January 1949. He died in Denver, Colorado
Denver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
, August 7, 1951. He was interred in Crown Hill Cemetery.