Gordon Sloan
Encyclopedia
Gordon Wright Sloan was an American
attorney and judge. He was the 70th Associate Justice of the Oregon Supreme Court
in the United States
. He previously served on the International Tuna Commission, and later the Kansas
native was Oregon
’s first senior judge.
on April 9, 1911. His father was a judge for the Kansas Supreme Court
who graduated from Washburn University School of Law
five years before Gordon’s birth. Soon after Gordon’s birth, the family relocated to Holton, Kansas
, where Gordon attended the local public schools. After graduating from high school in Holton in 1929 he went on to the University of Kansas
where he graduated in 1933 as president of his senior class. Gordon then went on to law school at Washburn where his brother Eldon graduated in 1933. Gordon graduated in 1935.
until 1938. That year he married Geneve Tipton and they moved to Oregon
, settling in Astoria
along the Oregon Coast
. On March 1, 1958, Sloan was appointed to the Oregon Supreme Court to replace Randall B. Kester
by Oregon Governor Robert D. Holmes
after Kester resigned from the court. Gordon then won election to a full six-year term later in 1958. In 1964 he won re-election after running unopposed. Sloan resigned from the court on October 1, 1970. Earlier in the year Dean F. Bryson
defeated Sloan in his re-election bid.
After retiring from the bench, Gordon Sloan was appointed as the first senior judge in the state of Oregon’s history. He was also appointed to the International Tuna Commission by United States President Harry Truman.
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
attorney and judge. He was the 70th Associate Justice of the Oregon Supreme Court
Oregon Supreme Court
The Oregon Supreme Court is the highest state court in the U.S. state of Oregon. The only court that may reverse or modify a decision of the Oregon Supreme Court is the Supreme Court of the United States. The OSC holds court at the Oregon Supreme Court Building in Salem, Oregon, near the capitol...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. He previously served on the International Tuna Commission, and later the 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...
native was Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
’s first senior judge.
Early life
Gordon Sloan was born to Edward R. Sloan and Julie Wright Sloan in Hoxie, KansasHoxie, Kansas
Hoxie is a city in and the county seat of Sheridan County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 1,201.-Geography:Hoxie is located at...
on April 9, 1911. His father was a judge for the Kansas Supreme Court
Kansas Supreme Court
The Kansas Supreme Court is the highest judicial authority in the state of Kansas. Composed of seven justices, led by Chief Justice Lawton Nuss, the Court supervises the legal profession, administers over the judicial branch, and serves as the state court of last resort in the appeals...
who graduated from Washburn University School of Law
Washburn University School of Law
The Washburn University School of Law, commonly referred to as Washburn Law, is a public law school located on the main campus of Washburn University in Topeka, Kansas. Washburn Law was founded in 1903. The school has 79 faculty members and 445 students...
five years before Gordon’s birth. Soon after Gordon’s birth, the family relocated to Holton, Kansas
Holton, Kansas
Holton is a city in and the county seat of Jackson County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 3,329. It is part of the Topeka, Kansas Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
, where Gordon attended the local public schools. After graduating from high school in Holton in 1929 he went on to the University of Kansas
University of Kansas
The University of Kansas is a public research university and the largest university in the state of Kansas. KU campuses are located in Lawrence, Wichita, Overland Park, and Kansas City, Kansas with the main campus being located in Lawrence on Mount Oread, the highest point in Lawrence. The...
where he graduated in 1933 as president of his senior class. Gordon then went on to law school at Washburn where his brother Eldon graduated in 1933. Gordon graduated in 1935.
Legal career
After law school Gordon Sloan began working as an assistant district attorney in the city of Topeka, KansasTopeka, Kansas
Topeka |Kansa]]: Tó Pee Kuh) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Kansas and the county seat of Shawnee County. It is situated along the Kansas River in the central part of Shawnee County, located in northeast Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was...
until 1938. That year he married Geneve Tipton and they moved to Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
, settling in Astoria
Astoria, Oregon
Astoria is the county seat of Clatsop County, Oregon, United States. Situated near the mouth of the Columbia River, the city was named after the American investor John Jacob Astor. His American Fur Company founded Fort Astoria at the site in 1811...
along the Oregon Coast
Oregon Coast
The Oregon Coast is a region of the U.S. state of Oregon. It runs generally north-south along the Pacific Ocean, forming the western border of the state; the region is bounded to the east by the Oregon Coast Range. The Oregon Coast stretches approximately from the Columbia River in the north to...
. On March 1, 1958, Sloan was appointed to the Oregon Supreme Court to replace Randall B. Kester
Randall B. Kester
Randall B. Kester is an American attorney and former judge in the state of Oregon. He was the 69th Associate Justice on the Oregon Supreme Court, serving from 1957 to 1958...
by Oregon Governor Robert D. Holmes
Robert D. Holmes
Robert Denison Holmes was an American politician and journalist from the U.S. state of Oregon. A native of the state of New York, he worked in newspapers and radio before entering politics. Though a Republican early in his career, he served as a Democrat in the Oregon State Senate and as the 28th...
after Kester resigned from the court. Gordon then won election to a full six-year term later in 1958. In 1964 he won re-election after running unopposed. Sloan resigned from the court on October 1, 1970. Earlier in the year Dean F. Bryson
Dean F. Bryson
Dean F. Bryson was an American attorney in the state of Oregon, United States. He was the 77th Associate Justice of the Oregon Supreme Court...
defeated Sloan in his re-election bid.
After retiring from the bench, Gordon Sloan was appointed as the first senior judge in the state of Oregon’s history. He was also appointed to the International Tuna Commission by United States President Harry Truman.
Family
Gordon and his wife Geneve had two children together, Bill and Sally. In addition to his brother, Gordon had a sister named Clarice. Gordon Sloan died on August 23, 2006, at the age of 95 in Wilsonville, OregonWilsonville, Oregon
Wilsonville is a city primarily in Clackamas County, Oregon, United States. A portion of the northern section of the city is in Washington County. Originally founded as Boones Landing due to the Boones Ferry which crossed the Willamette River at the location, the community became Wilsonville in...
.