John McCourt
Encyclopedia
John McCourt was an American
attorney and jurist in the state of Oregon
. He served as the 51st Associate Justice
of the Oregon Supreme Court
. Prior to joinng the court, McCourt had worked as United States District Attorney for the District of Oregon
. A native of Canada
, he was also a state court judge and member of the Oregon House of Representatives
.
in 1890. In Oregon he attended Willamette University
in the literary department. He then switched to the law school
where he graduated in 1896 and began practicing law in Salem, Oregon
. He passed the bar
in June 1896.
in the Oregon House of Representatives
during a special session. He returned the following year for the regular legislative assembly. McCourt then moved to Eastern Oregon
in 1900 where he practiced law in Pendleton
until 1908. On March 17, 1908 he was appointed as United States Attorney for the District of Oregon and served in Portland, Oregon until 1913 when he entered private practice. In November 1918 he was appointed as circuit judge for Multnomah County, Oregon
.
On October 8, 1921, Oregon Governor
Ben W. Olcott
appointed him to the state supreme court to replace Charles A. Johns
. McCourt then won election to a full six-year term in 1922, but died in office on September 12, 1924. He died in Salem of septic poisoning from an infection of the teeth and is buried at the Salem Pioneer Cemetery
.
and his mother in Canada
. John McCourt married on June 28, 1898 to Vera Boothby. The couple had two boys together. McCourt is buried in Salem’s Pioneer Cemetery
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
attorney and jurist in the state of 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...
. He served as the 51st Associate Justice
Associate Justice
Associate Justice or Associate Judge is the title for a member of a judicial panel who is not the Chief Justice in some jurisdictions. The title "Associate Justice" is used for members of the United States Supreme Court and some state supreme courts, and for some other courts in Commonwealth...
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...
. Prior to joinng the court, McCourt had worked as United States District Attorney for the District of Oregon
United States District Court for the District of Oregon
The United States District Court for the District of Oregon is the Federal district court whose jurisdiction comprises the state of Oregon. It was created in 1859 when the state was admitted to the Union...
. A native of Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, he was also a state court judge and member of the Oregon House of Representatives
Oregon House of Representatives
The Oregon House of Representatives is the lower house of the Oregon Legislative Assembly. There are 60 members of the House, representing 60 districts across the state, each with a population of 57,000. The House meets at the Oregon State Capitol in Salem....
.
Early life
John McCourt was born on February 26, 1874 in Listowel, Ontario, Canada. His parents, James McCourt and Emma Farnscomb, and the rest of the family moved to California when John was young. There he received his primary education before he moved to OregonOregon
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...
in 1890. In Oregon he attended Willamette University
Willamette University
Willamette University is an American private institution of higher learning located in Salem, Oregon. Founded in 1842, it is the oldest university in the Western United States. Willamette is a member of the Annapolis Group of colleges, and is made up of an undergraduate College of Liberal Arts and...
in the literary department. He then switched to the law school
Willamette University College of Law
Willamette University College of Law is a private law school located in Salem, Oregon, United States. Founded in 1842, Willamette University is the oldest university in the Western United States...
where he graduated in 1896 and began practicing law in Salem, Oregon
Salem, Oregon
Salem is the capital of the U.S. state of Oregon, and the county seat of Marion County. It is located in the center of the Willamette Valley alongside the Willamette River, which runs north through the city. The river forms the boundary between Marion and Polk counties, and the city neighborhood...
. He passed the bar
Bar (law)
Bar in a legal context has three possible meanings: the division of a courtroom between its working and public areas; the process of qualifying to practice law; and the legal profession.-Courtroom division:...
in June 1896.
Legal career
In 1898, McCourt was elected and served as a Republican from Marion County, OregonMarion County, Oregon
Marion County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oregon. It was originally named the Champooick District, after Champoeg, a meeting place on the Willamette River. On September 3, 1849, the territorial legislature renamed it in honor of Francis Marion, a Continental Army general of the...
in the Oregon House of Representatives
Oregon House of Representatives
The Oregon House of Representatives is the lower house of the Oregon Legislative Assembly. There are 60 members of the House, representing 60 districts across the state, each with a population of 57,000. The House meets at the Oregon State Capitol in Salem....
during a special session. He returned the following year for the regular legislative assembly. McCourt then moved to Eastern Oregon
Eastern Oregon
Eastern Oregon is the eastern part of the U.S. state of Oregon. It is not an officially recognized geographic entity, thus the boundaries of the region vary according to context. It is sometimes understood to include only the eight easternmost counties in the state; in other contexts, it includes...
in 1900 where he practiced law in Pendleton
Pendleton, Oregon
Pendleton is a city in Umatilla County, Oregon, United States. Pendleton was named in 1868 by the county commissioners for George H. Pendleton, Democratic candidate for Vice-President in the 1864 presidential campaign. The population was 16,612 at the 2010 census...
until 1908. On March 17, 1908 he was appointed as United States Attorney for the District of Oregon and served in Portland, Oregon until 1913 when he entered private practice. In November 1918 he was appointed as circuit judge for Multnomah County, Oregon
Multnomah County, Oregon
Multnomah County is one of 36 counties in the U.S. state of Oregon. Though smallest in area, it is the most populous as its county seat, Portland, is the state's largest city...
.
On October 8, 1921, Oregon Governor
Governor of Oregon
The Governor of Oregon is the top executive of the government of the U.S. state of Oregon. The title of governor was also applied to the office of Oregon's chief executive during the provisional and U.S. territorial governments....
Ben W. Olcott
Ben W. Olcott
Ben W. Olcott was the 16th Governor of Oregon, U.S.-Early life:Olcott was born in Keithsburg, Illinois. He was educated at a Keithsburg elementary school and a business school in Dixon, later becoming a clerk in Chicago. In 1891, at age 19, he moved to Salem, Oregon, and became a roommate and...
appointed him to the state supreme court to replace Charles A. Johns
Charles A. Johns
Charles A. Johns was an American lawyer, jurist and politician who served as the 47th Associate Justice of the Oregon Supreme Court. Johns also served as mayor of Baker City in Eastern Oregon and as a justice on the Supreme Court of the Philippines while that archipelago was under U.S...
. McCourt then won election to a full six-year term in 1922, but died in office on September 12, 1924. He died in Salem of septic poisoning from an infection of the teeth and is buried at the Salem Pioneer Cemetery
Salem Pioneer Cemetery
Salem Pioneer Cemetery is a cemetery in Salem, Oregon, United States.-Overview:...
.
Family
His father was born in ScotlandScotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
and his mother in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. John McCourt married on June 28, 1898 to Vera Boothby. The couple had two boys together. McCourt is buried in Salem’s Pioneer Cemetery
Salem Pioneer Cemetery
Salem Pioneer Cemetery is a cemetery in Salem, Oregon, United States.-Overview:...
.