Dudley Sutphin
Encyclopedia
Dudley Vanness Sutphin was a prominent resident of Cincinnati, Ohio
, a well-known attorney and judge, a French Legion of Honor medal winner, and an outstanding amateur tennis player.
where he was a member of the Freshman Crew team (which rowed on the River Thames
in England against Harvard and Columbia
1). He also was a member of the tennis team and Delta Kappa Epsilon
.
After spending the summer of 1897 abroad with fellow Cincinnatian and Yale graduate Charles B. DeCamp, Sutphin entered the University of Cincinnati College of Law
from which he graduated in 1900. While there he was a member of Phi Delta Phi
.
He was admitted to Ohio Bar in June, 1900, and after working at several firms (Holhster & Hollister, Kittredge & Wilby and practicing alone from 1904–1908), he formed a firm in 1910 with Walter A. DeCamp under the name DeCamp & Sutphin, which in 1920 would become DeCamp, Sutphin & Brumleve. He continued with that firm until his retirement.
He also was a vice-president of Third National Bank of Cincinnati; assistant city solicitor of Cincinnati; judge of Superior Court; treasurer of the board of Trustees of the Mount Auburn
Presbyterian Church; and vice-president, secretary and treasurer of Cincinnati’s Yale Club.
He was commissioned as a Major in the Judge Advocate General
's Department, Officers' Reserve Corps, on July 18, 1917 and assigned to the Headquarters of the Central Department at Chicago on August 1.
In September of that year, he went to Fort Sam Houston
, Texas, as Assistant Judge Advocate and later as Judge Advocate in the investigation, preparation, and trial by court martial of the Houston Riot
cases, which were riots by the Third Battalion, 24th United States Infantry. The riot was a mutiny by 150 black soldiers which lasted one afternoon and resulted in the deaths of four soldiers and 15 civilians. The rioters were tried at three courts-martial. Fourteen were executed, and forty-one were given life sentences.
Sutphin was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel on October 25, 1918.
After the armistice
of World War I, he served as Judge Advocate and as Commanding Officer of the Rents, Requisitions, and Claims Department of American Embarkation Center at Le Mans
, France. There, he was decorated with the French Legion of Honor on April 26, 1919.
Sutphin left the army on August 29, 1919 and returned to Cincinnati where he practiced law until his retirement in 1921 on account of ill health.
Although his official cause of death was tuberculosis (which was due in part from a disease he contracted while in France), it occurred following an operation at what is now St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center
in New York City. He was buried in Spring Grove Cemetery
in Cincinnati.
In 1927, his wife Mary established the Dudley V. Sutphin Scholarship at the University of Cincinnati College of Law. The scholarship is awarded to entering students with a bachelor's degree in Liberal Arts or Business Administration, and preference is given to residents of Cincinnati.
Sutphin married Mary Perin Harrison Sutphin on November 14, 1901, and together they had a daughter, Elizabeth, on June 9, 1905 in Cincinnati. (They also had a son, Dudley Jr., who was born and died in 1911.) Elizabeth married Hulbert Taft Jr., nephew of William Howard Taft
, the 27th President of the United States.
Hulbert Taft founded WKRC (AM)
radio and WKRC-TV
in Cincinnati, Ohio, the flagship stations of what became Taft Broadcasting
. Hulbert Jr. and Elizabeth's son, Dudley Sutphin Taft, built what is now Kings Island
amusement park and the Riverbend Music Center
in Cincinnati.
, 8–6, 6–1, 10-8. Emerson would go on to be ranked as high as No. 7 in the United States, and the "Cincinnati Open" would go on as well. Today, it is known as the Cincinnati Masters
, is one of the biggest tennis tournaments in the world, and the oldest tournament in the United States played in its original city.
As President of the Cincinnati Lawn Tennis Association from 1899 to 1902, Sutphin was one of the individuals who founded the Cincinnati Masters
. He also was a member of the Cincinnati Tennis Club
.
In the Indiana State Championship, Sutphin won the doubles title in 1908 and was a singles quarterfinalist. In the 1913 event he was a doubles finalist, and in 1915 he reached the third round in singles before falling to eventual tournament champion and future International Tennis Hall of Famer Charles S. Garland.
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, a well-known attorney and judge, a French Legion of Honor medal winner, and an outstanding amateur tennis player.
Education & Career
Sutphin graduated from the Franklin School in Cincinnati and went on to Yale UniversityYale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
where he was a member of the Freshman Crew team (which rowed on the River Thames
River Thames
The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...
in England against Harvard and Columbia
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
1). He also was a member of the tennis team and Delta Kappa Epsilon
Delta Kappa Epsilon
Delta Kappa Epsilon is a fraternity founded at Yale College in 1844 by 15 men of the sophomore class who had not been invited to join the two existing societies...
.
After spending the summer of 1897 abroad with fellow Cincinnatian and Yale graduate Charles B. DeCamp, Sutphin entered the University of Cincinnati College of Law
University of Cincinnati College of Law
The University of Cincinnati College of Law is the fourth oldest continually running law school in the United States and a founding member of the Association of American Law Schools. It was started in 1833 as the Cincinnati Law School...
from which he graduated in 1900. While there he was a member of Phi Delta Phi
Phi Delta Phi
Phi Delta Phi, ΦΔΦ, is the world's second largest legal fraternity. Phi Delta Phi is the second oldest legal organization in continuous existence in the United States and third oldest in North America...
.
He was admitted to Ohio Bar in June, 1900, and after working at several firms (Holhster & Hollister, Kittredge & Wilby and practicing alone from 1904–1908), he formed a firm in 1910 with Walter A. DeCamp under the name DeCamp & Sutphin, which in 1920 would become DeCamp, Sutphin & Brumleve. He continued with that firm until his retirement.
He also was a vice-president of Third National Bank of Cincinnati; assistant city solicitor of Cincinnati; judge of Superior Court; treasurer of the board of Trustees of the Mount Auburn
Mount Auburn
Mount Auburn is the name of several places in the United States:*Mount Auburn, Illinois*Mount Auburn Township, Illinois*Mount Auburn, Indiana*Mount Auburn, Iowa*Mount Auburn Cemetery in Massachusetts*Mount Auburn Historic District in Cincinnati, Ohio...
Presbyterian Church; and vice-president, secretary and treasurer of Cincinnati’s Yale Club.
He was commissioned as a Major in the Judge Advocate General
Judge Advocate General's Corps
Judge Advocate General's Corps, also known as JAG or JAG Corps, refers to the legal branch or specialty of the U.S. Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, and Navy. Officers serving in the JAG Corps are typically called Judge Advocates. The Marine Corps and Coast Guard do not maintain separate JAG Corps...
's Department, Officers' Reserve Corps, on July 18, 1917 and assigned to the Headquarters of the Central Department at Chicago on August 1.
In September of that year, he went to Fort Sam Houston
Fort Sam Houston
Fort Sam Houston is a U.S. Army post in San Antonio, Texas.Known colloquially as "Fort Sam," it is named for the first President of the Republic of Texas, Sam Houston....
, Texas, as Assistant Judge Advocate and later as Judge Advocate in the investigation, preparation, and trial by court martial of the Houston Riot
Houston Riot (1917)
The Houston Riot of 1917, or Camp Logan Riot, was a mutiny by 156 African American soldiers of the Third Battalion of the all-black Twenty-fourth United States Infantry. It occupied most of one night, and resulted in the deaths of four soldiers and sixteen civilians. The rioting soldiers were tried...
cases, which were riots by the Third Battalion, 24th United States Infantry. The riot was a mutiny by 150 black soldiers which lasted one afternoon and resulted in the deaths of four soldiers and 15 civilians. The rioters were tried at three courts-martial. Fourteen were executed, and forty-one were given life sentences.
Sutphin was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel on October 25, 1918.
After the armistice
Armistice
An armistice is a situation in a war where the warring parties agree to stop fighting. It is not necessarily the end of a war, but may be just a cessation of hostilities while an attempt is made to negotiate a lasting peace...
of World War I, he served as Judge Advocate and as Commanding Officer of the Rents, Requisitions, and Claims Department of American Embarkation Center at Le Mans
Le Mans
Le Mans is a city in France, located on the Sarthe River. Traditionally the capital of the province of Maine, it is now the capital of the Sarthe department and the seat of the Roman Catholic diocese of Le Mans. Le Mans is a part of the Pays de la Loire region.Its inhabitants are called Manceaux...
, France. There, he was decorated with the French Legion of Honor on April 26, 1919.
Sutphin left the army on August 29, 1919 and returned to Cincinnati where he practiced law until his retirement in 1921 on account of ill health.
Although his official cause of death was tuberculosis (which was due in part from a disease he contracted while in France), it occurred following an operation at what is now St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center
St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center
St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center, an academic affiliate of Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, is a 1,076-bed, full-service community and tertiary care hospital serving New York City’s Midtown West, Upper West Side and parts of Harlem....
in New York City. He was buried in Spring Grove Cemetery
Spring Grove Cemetery
Spring Grove Cemetery and Arboretum is a nonprofit garden cemetery and arboretum located at 4521 Spring Grove Avenue, Cincinnati, Ohio. It is the second largest cemetery in the United States and is recognized as a U.S. National Historic Landmark....
in Cincinnati.
In 1927, his wife Mary established the Dudley V. Sutphin Scholarship at the University of Cincinnati College of Law. The scholarship is awarded to entering students with a bachelor's degree in Liberal Arts or Business Administration, and preference is given to residents of Cincinnati.
Family
His father (Isaac Vanness Sutphin, an 1869 graduate of Delaware College) founded the I. V. Sutphin Company in Cincinnati, a paper makers' supplies company. Dudley Sutphin was the oldest of three brothers - Samuel B. Sutphin and Stuart B. Sutphin, both of whom also graduated from Yale.Sutphin married Mary Perin Harrison Sutphin on November 14, 1901, and together they had a daughter, Elizabeth, on June 9, 1905 in Cincinnati. (They also had a son, Dudley Jr., who was born and died in 1911.) Elizabeth married Hulbert Taft Jr., nephew of William Howard Taft
William Howard Taft
William Howard Taft was the 27th President of the United States and later the tenth Chief Justice of the United States...
, the 27th President of the United States.
Hulbert Taft founded WKRC (AM)
WKRC (AM)
WKRC is a radio station based in Cincinnati, Ohio that is owned by Clear Channel Communications and broadcasts at 550 kHz. Broadcasting under the branding of 55KRC, the station is a news/talk outlet featuring a local morning show and national hosts like Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh, Sean...
radio and WKRC-TV
WKRC-TV
WKRC-TV is the CBS-affiliated television station for the Tri-State area of Southern Ohio, Northern Kentucky, and Southeastern Indiana that is licensed to Cincinnati. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on VHF channel 12 from a transmitter at its studios on Highland Avenue in the Mount...
in Cincinnati, Ohio, the flagship stations of what became Taft Broadcasting
Taft Broadcasting
The Taft Broadcasting Company, also known as Taft Television and Radio Company, Incorporated, was an American media conglomerate based in Cincinnati, Ohio....
. Hulbert Jr. and Elizabeth's son, Dudley Sutphin Taft, built what is now Kings Island
Kings Island
Kings Island is a amusement park located northeast of Cincinnati in Mason, Ohio. Opened in 1972 by Taft Broadcasting Company and now owned by Cedar Fair Entertainment Company, Kings Island is the most visited seasonal amusement park in the U.S...
amusement park and the Riverbend Music Center
Riverbend Music Center
Riverbend Music Center is an outdoor amphitheater, with a capacity of 20,500, located in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States, along the banks of the Ohio River. Riverbend was built for the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, to allow them to play in an outdoor venue during the summer months. Famed architect...
in Cincinnati.
Tennis
On September 23, 1899, Sutphin reached the singles final of the first "Cincinnati Open," only to lose to Nat EmersonNat Emerson
Nathaniel C. Emerson was a top-ranked American amateur tennis player in the early 20th Century. Born in Cincinnati, Ohio in October, 1874 to Henry & Edith Emerson, he moved to Yakima, Washington by 1911, where he owned an apple orchard. Later he lived in Memphis, Tennessee.He was ranked in the...
, 8–6, 6–1, 10-8. Emerson would go on to be ranked as high as No. 7 in the United States, and the "Cincinnati Open" would go on as well. Today, it is known as the Cincinnati Masters
Cincinnati Masters
The Cincinnati Open is an annual outdoor hardcourts tennis event held in the Cincinnati suburb of Mason, Ohio, USA. The event started on September 18, 1899 and is the oldest tennis tournament in the United States played in its original city., Between...
, is one of the biggest tennis tournaments in the world, and the oldest tournament in the United States played in its original city.
As President of the Cincinnati Lawn Tennis Association from 1899 to 1902, Sutphin was one of the individuals who founded the Cincinnati Masters
Cincinnati Masters
The Cincinnati Open is an annual outdoor hardcourts tennis event held in the Cincinnati suburb of Mason, Ohio, USA. The event started on September 18, 1899 and is the oldest tennis tournament in the United States played in its original city., Between...
. He also was a member of the Cincinnati Tennis Club
Cincinnati Tennis Club
The Cincinnati Tennis Club was founded in 1880 just five years after tennis was introduced in America, and is today one of the oldest active tennis clubs in the United States.-History:...
.
In the Indiana State Championship, Sutphin won the doubles title in 1908 and was a singles quarterfinalist. In the 1913 event he was a doubles finalist, and in 1915 he reached the third round in singles before falling to eventual tournament champion and future International Tennis Hall of Famer Charles S. Garland.
Sources
- Obituary Record Of Yale Graduates from 1925-1926 (Bulletin of Yale University)
- 1New York Times, June 17, 1894, page 19
- From Club Court to Center Court by Phillip S. Smith (2008 Edition; ISBN# 978-0-9712445-7-3).