Howard Lee Bickley was an American lawyer and judge. Originally from Missouri

Missouri

Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...

, he relocated to New Mexico

New Mexico

New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...

 and became Chief Justice of the New Mexico Supreme Court

New Mexico Supreme Court

The New Mexico Supreme Court is the highest court in the U.S. state of New Mexico. It is established and its powers defined by Article VI of the New Mexico Constitution...

.

Bickley was born in Mexico, Missouri

Mexico, Missouri

Mexico is a city in Audrain County, Missouri, United States. The population was 11,543 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Audrain County. The Mexico Micropolitan Statistical Area consists of Audrain County...

. He graduated from the University of Missouri School of Law

University of Missouri School of Law

University of Missouri School of Law is the law school of the University of Missouri, a state university in the U.S. State of Missouri. It is located on the university's main campus in Columbia, forty minutes from the Missouri State Capitol and Supreme Court in Jefferson City...

 in 1895, and then returned to Mexico to practice law. He was elected prosecuting attorney for Audrain County

Audrain County, Missouri

Audrain County is a county located in the U.S. state of Missouri. As of 2010, the population was 25,529. Its county seat is Mexico. The county was organized in 1836. Audrain County was named for Col. James Hunter Audrain. Col. Audrain was Colonel of militia in the War of 1812. In 1830 Col...

 on the Democratic ticket

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...

. He moved to Raton, New Mexico

Raton, New Mexico

Raton is a city in Colfax County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 7,282 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Colfax County. The city is located just south of Raton Pass.-Name:...

 in 1904, and practiced law there until he became a judge. He was the city attorney for Raton for many years.

He was elected to the New Mexico Supreme Court as a Democrat, and began his service January 1, 1925. He was re-elected in 1932 and 1940. He served as Chief Justice three times during his tenure, the last time from January 1, 1947 until his death. He administered the oath of office to four governors.

Bickley died of a sudden heart attack in his home in Santa Fe

Santa Fe, New Mexico

Santa Fe is the capital of the U.S. state of New Mexico. It is the fourth-largest city in the state and is the seat of . Santa Fe had a population of 67,947 in the 2010 census...

 the night of March 4, 1947. A freemason, his funeral services were conducted on March 6 at the Scottish Rite Cathedral in Santa Fe. State offices were closed the same day for an hour and a half in his memory. He was buried in Fairmont Cemetery in Raton, next to his wife.

He married Ruth K. Phillips in 1897 in Mexico, Missouri; Ruth died in 1910 and he did not remarry. They had one daughter, Frances.