Martin L. Pipes
Encyclopedia
Martin Luther Pipes was the an American
attorney and judge in Oregon
. He was the 54th Associate Justice of the Oregon Supreme Court
. A Louisiana
native, he also was a judge on the Oregon Circuit Court and a member of the Oregon House of Representatives
.
on September 21, 1850. In Louisiana
Martin received his education and graduated in 1871 from Louisiana State Seminary
. On November 1, 1874 Pipes married Mary Curtis Skipworth in his home state. The couple would have five children together. The family moved to Oregon
the following year and arrived on June 1, 1875, settling in Independence
in the Willamette Valley
.
as a Democrat from Polk County
. In 1881 he passed the bar
and began practicing law there and in neighboring Dallas, Oregon
until 1884. Then in 1884 he moved south to Corvallis, Oregon
where he practiced law until 1890.
In 1890 he became a state circuit court judge
in Corvallis, serving until 1892. That year Martin moved to Portland, Oregon
, where he practiced law until 1932. While in Portland he worked with Joseph Simon
in settling the estate of entrepreneur Simeon Gannett Reed
that help lead to the establishment of Reed College
in Portland. In 1910 he was a professor at the University of Oregon School of Law
when it was located in Portland. On September 12, 1924, Pipes was appointed to the Oregon Supreme Court to replace John McCourt
by Oregon Governor Walter M. Pierce
after McCourt died in office. Pipes only served until the end of the term on December 31, 1924. Martin Luther Pipes returned to law practice in Portland where he died on July 15, 1932.
to force the United States to pay back wages to postmaster Frank Myers in the landmark Myers v. United States
decision of the court.
, an architect, design and build a Tudor style home for the family in Southwest Portland. Pipes lived in the home until his death in 1932, and his widow remained there until 1944. The Martin Luther Pipes House
was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1987. Wade Pipes was considered the "foremost exponent of English Cottage architecture" in the state.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
attorney and judge in 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 was the 54th 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...
. A Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
native, he also was a judge on the Oregon Circuit Court and a 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
Martin Pipes was born to John Pipes and Harriet Shaffer Pipes in Ascension Parish, LouisianaAscension Parish, Louisiana
Ascension Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is the fastest growing parish in the state. Its population is 107,215 which is 39.9% greater than the 2000 census...
on September 21, 1850. In Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
Martin received his education and graduated in 1871 from Louisiana State Seminary
Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, most often referred to as Louisiana State University, or LSU, is a public coeducational university located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The University was founded in 1853 in what is now known as Pineville, Louisiana, under the name...
. On November 1, 1874 Pipes married Mary Curtis Skipworth in his home state. The couple would have five children together. The family 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...
the following year and arrived on June 1, 1875, settling in Independence
Independence, Oregon
Independence is a city in Polk County, Oregon, United States, on the west bank of the Willamette River along Oregon Route 51, and east of nearby Monmouth. It is part of the Salem Metropolitan Statistical Area...
in the Willamette Valley
Willamette Valley
The Willamette Valley is the most populated region in the state of Oregon of the United States. Located in the state's northwest, the region is surrounded by tall mountain ranges to the east, west and south and the valley's floor is broad, flat and fertile because of Ice Age conditions...
.
Legal career
In Independence Martin was a school teacher, newspaper editor, and from 1878 to 1881 the justice of the peace and city recorder. During this time in 1880 he was elected and served in the Oregon House of RepresentativesOregon 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....
as a Democrat from Polk County
Polk County, Oregon
Polk County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oregon. The county is named for James Knox Polk, the 11th president of the United States. In 2010, its population was 75,403. The seat of the county is Dallas....
. In 1881 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:...
and began practicing law there and in neighboring Dallas, Oregon
Dallas, Oregon
The city of Dallas is the county seat of Polk County, Oregon, United States. The population was 14,583 at the 2010 census.Dallas is located on Rickreall Creek, approximately 15 miles west of Salem, at an altitude of 325 feet above sea level...
until 1884. Then in 1884 he moved south to Corvallis, Oregon
Corvallis, Oregon
Corvallis is a city located in central western Oregon, United States. It is the county seat of Benton County and the principal city of the Corvallis, Oregon Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Benton County. As of the 2010 United States Census, the population was 54,462....
where he practiced law until 1890.
In 1890 he became a state circuit court judge
Judge
A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and in an open...
in Corvallis, serving until 1892. That year Martin moved to Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
, where he practiced law until 1932. While in Portland he worked with Joseph Simon
Joseph Simon
Joseph Simon was a German-born politician and attorney in the U.S. state of Oregon. He was born in Bechtheim, Germany, and his family immigrated to the United States when he was one year old, settling in Portland, Oregon. A Republican, Simon served on the city council before election to the Oregon...
in settling the estate of entrepreneur Simeon Gannett Reed
Simeon Gannett Reed
Simeon Gannett Reed was an American businessman and entrepreneur in Oregon. A native of Massachusetts, he made a fortune primarily in the transportation sector in association with William S. Ladd...
that help lead to the establishment of Reed College
Reed College
Reed College is a private, independent, liberal arts college located in southeast Portland, Oregon. Founded in 1908, Reed is a residential college with a campus located in Portland's Eastmoreland neighborhood, featuring architecture based on the Tudor-Gothic style, and a forested canyon wilderness...
in Portland. In 1910 he was a professor at the University of Oregon School of Law
University of Oregon School of Law
The University of Oregon School of Law is a public law school in the U.S. state of Oregon. Housed in the Knight Law Center, it is Oregon's only state funded law school. The school, founded in 1884, is located on the University of Oregon campus in Eugene, on the corner of 15th and Agate streets,...
when it was located in Portland. On September 12, 1924, Pipes was appointed to the Oregon Supreme Court to replace John McCourt
John McCourt
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...
by Oregon Governor Walter M. Pierce
Walter M. Pierce
Walter Marcus Pierce was an American politician, a Democrat, who served as the 17th Governor of Oregon and a member of the United States House of Representatives from . A native of Illinois, he served in the Oregon State Senate before the governorship, and again after leaving the U.S. House...
after McCourt died in office. Pipes only served until the end of the term on December 31, 1924. Martin Luther Pipes returned to law practice in Portland where he died on July 15, 1932.
United States Supreme Court
While in private legal practice in 1902 Pipes was an attorney for the plaintiff against the city of Portland in the United States Supreme Court case of King v. City of Portland. Later he was an attorney involved in the case of Ross v. State of Oregon, representing the defendant in error, Oregon. In 1923 and 1925 he argued unsuccessfully with co-counsel William R. KingWilliam R. King (judge)
William R. King was an American politician and judge in the state of Oregon. He was the 37th Associate Justice of the Oregon Supreme Court...
to force the United States to pay back wages to postmaster Frank Myers in the landmark Myers v. United States
Myers v. United States
Myers v. United States, , was a United States Supreme Court decision ruling that the President has the exclusive power to remove executive branch officials, and does not need the approval of the Senate or any other legislative body....
decision of the court.
Other
In 1926, Martin Pipes had his son Wade Hampton PipesWade Hampton Pipes
Wade Hampton Pipes was an American architect in based in Portland, Oregon. Pipes was considered the "foremost exponent of English Cottage architecture" in the state.-Career:...
, an architect, design and build a Tudor style home for the family in Southwest Portland. Pipes lived in the home until his death in 1932, and his widow remained there until 1944. The Martin Luther Pipes House
Martin Luther Pipes House
The Martin Luther Pipes House is a house located in southwest Portland, Oregon listed on the National Register of Historic Places.-References:...
was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1987. Wade Pipes was considered the "foremost exponent of English Cottage architecture" in the state.