Hugh M. Dorsey
Encyclopedia
Hugh Manson Dorsey was an American lawyer who was notable as the prosecuting attorney in the Leo Frank
trial of 1913. He was also a politician, a member of the Democratic Party
who was twice elected as the Governor of Georgia (1917–1921), and jurist
, who served for years as a superior court judge (1935–1948).
in 1871. At the age of 8, he moved with his family in 1879 to Atlanta, which was growing rapidly and had more economic opportunity. His father was an attorney there.
Dorsey graduated from the University of Georgia
in 1893. After studying law at the University of Virginia
, Dorsey joined his father's law firm in Atlanta in 1895.
for the murder of the young factory worker Mary Phagan. Frank, a Jewish northerner, was eventually lynched by a mob. Achieving conviction amid sensational media coverage, Dorsey became famous.
His victory in this case contributed to his being elected for two consecutive two-year terms as the Governor of Georgia from 1917 to 1921.
Later he ran for the U.S. Senate but was defeated. Later Dorsey served as a superior court judge in Atlanta, from 1935 until his death in 1948.
He is buried in Westview Cemetery
in Atlanta.
(after his death sentence was commuted) was adapted into many forms. In the 1988 TV-movie The Murder of Mary Phagan
, Dorsey was portrayed by the actor Richard Jordan
.
Leo Frank
Leo Max Frank was a Jewish-American factory superintendent whose hanging in 1915 by a lynch mob of prominent citizens in Marietta, Georgia drew attention to antisemitism in the United States....
trial of 1913. He was also a politician, a member of the Democratic Party
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...
who was twice elected as the Governor of Georgia (1917–1921), and jurist
Jurist
A jurist or jurisconsult is a professional who studies, develops, applies, or otherwise deals with the law. The term is widely used in American English, but in the United Kingdom and many Commonwealth countries it has only historical and specialist usage...
, who served for years as a superior court judge (1935–1948).
Early life and education
Hugh M. Dorsey was born in Fayetteville, GeorgiaFayetteville, Georgia
Fayetteville is a town in Fayette County, Georgia, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 15,945. The city is the county seat of Fayette County. Fayetteville is located approximately 22 miles from the city of Atlanta....
in 1871. At the age of 8, he moved with his family in 1879 to Atlanta, which was growing rapidly and had more economic opportunity. His father was an attorney there.
Dorsey graduated from the University of Georgia
University of Georgia
The University of Georgia is a public research university located in Athens, Georgia, United States. Founded in 1785, it is the oldest and largest of the state's institutions of higher learning and is one of multiple schools to claim the title of the oldest public university in the United States...
in 1893. After studying law at the University of Virginia
University of Virginia
The University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...
, Dorsey joined his father's law firm in Atlanta in 1895.
Career
After working for several years with his father, in 1910 Dorsey was appointed the solicitor-general of Fulton County Superior Court. He was a member of the Democratic Party, as were most of the established European Americans in the South after Reconstruction. It was a one-party region for decades. In 1913 Dorsey was prosecuting attorney (serving as the solicitor-general of the Fulton County Superior Court) in the trial of Leo FrankLeo Frank
Leo Max Frank was a Jewish-American factory superintendent whose hanging in 1915 by a lynch mob of prominent citizens in Marietta, Georgia drew attention to antisemitism in the United States....
for the murder of the young factory worker Mary Phagan. Frank, a Jewish northerner, was eventually lynched by a mob. Achieving conviction amid sensational media coverage, Dorsey became famous.
His victory in this case contributed to his being elected for two consecutive two-year terms as the Governor of Georgia from 1917 to 1921.
Later he ran for the U.S. Senate but was defeated. Later Dorsey served as a superior court judge in Atlanta, from 1935 until his death in 1948.
He is buried in Westview Cemetery
Westview Cemetery
Westview Cemetery, located in Atlanta, Georgia, is the largest cemetery in the South East, comprising over , 50% of which is undeveloped. Westview includes the graves of more than 100,000 people.- History:...
in Atlanta.
In popular culture
Over the decades, the dramatic story of the trial and Frank's lynchingLynching
Lynching is an extrajudicial execution carried out by a mob, often by hanging, but also by burning at the stake or shooting, in order to punish an alleged transgressor, or to intimidate, control, or otherwise manipulate a population of people. It is related to other means of social control that...
(after his death sentence was commuted) was adapted into many forms. In the 1988 TV-movie The Murder of Mary Phagan
The Murder of Mary Phagan
The Murder of Mary Phagan, a 1987 two-part TV miniseries made by Orion Pictures Corporation and distributed by National Broadcasting Company , is a dramatization of the story of Leo Frank, a factory manager charged and convicted with murdering a 13-year-old girl, a factory worker named Mary Phagan,...
, Dorsey was portrayed by the actor Richard Jordan
Richard Jordan
Richard Jordan was an American stage, screen and film actor. A long-time member of the New York Shakespeare Festival, he performed in many Off Broadway and Broadway plays...
.
External links
- Arguments of Hugh M. Dorsey in the 1913 Leo Frank Murder Trial Some, but not all of Solicitor General Hugh Manson Dorsey (Atlanta Judicial Circuit) nine hours of closing arguments made on Aug. 22, 23 and 25, 1913. Held at Internet Archive in Adobe PDF format 146 pages.
- Georgia State Archives Roster of State Governors
- Georgia Governor's Gravesites Field Guide (1776–2003)
- Georgia Historical Marker for Hugh Dorsey