Ralph M. Holman
Encyclopedia
Ralph M. Holman is an attorney and senior judge in the state of Oregon
, United States
. He was the 74th Associate Justice of the Oregon Supreme Court
. Previously he was a circuit court judge
for Clackamas County, Oregon
.
, but grew up in Molalla, Oregon
, southeast of Portland. There he attended elementary school at then Molalla High School
, where eight Holmans have graduated from, including Ralph in 1932. Then during the Great Depression
he worked as a clerk during the daytime, posting relief checks. During the night he attended the Northwestern College of Law. In 1937, he graduated from law school
at what is now Lewis & Clark Law School
in Portland, Oregon
, with a juris doctorate, and passed the bar that year. Holman began practicing law in Oregon City, Oregon
, before joining the United States Navy
during World War II
.
in Clackamas County
for 15 years ending in 1965. He was appointed to the court by Governor Douglas McKay
in 1950. While on the bench in that court, his 1960 decision in a case that allowed the use of public funds for purchasing textbooks for parochial schools was overturned by the Oregon Supreme Court, whose decision was left intact by the United States Supreme Court when they denied certification. In 1964, Holman was elected to the Oregon Supreme Court filling the position of George Rossman
whose term had expired. Holman won re-election to additional six-year terms in 1970 and 1976. He resigned from the state's highest court on October 16, 1979, before the end of his term, with the resignation effective January 20, 1980.
. Justice Holman is currently a senior judge for the state of Oregon, which allows the Chief Justice of the Oregon Supreme Court to appoint him as a judge on a temporary basis if a need arises. In 2005, at the age of 91, Holman and other family members created the Holman Family Scholarship for graduates of Molalla High School.
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...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. He was the 74th 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...
. Previously he was a 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...
for Clackamas County, Oregon
Clackamas County, Oregon
Clackamas County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oregon. The county was named after the Native Americans living in the area, the Clackamas Indians, who were part of the Chinookan people. As of 2010, the population was 375,992...
.
Early life
Ralph Holman was born on June 7, 1914 in Portland, OregonPortland, 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...
, but grew up in Molalla, Oregon
Molalla, Oregon
Molalla is a city in Clackamas County, Oregon, United States. The population was 5,647 at the 2000 census.-History:Molalla was named after the Molalla River, which in turn was named for the Molala, a Native American tribe that inhabited the area. William H. Vaughan took up a donation land claim in...
, southeast of Portland. There he attended elementary school at then Molalla High School
Molalla High School
Molalla High School is a public high school of in Molalla, Oregon, United States. It is the only high school in the Molalla River School District.-History:Molalla High School graduated its first class in 1911...
, where eight Holmans have graduated from, including Ralph in 1932. Then during the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
he worked as a clerk during the daytime, posting relief checks. During the night he attended the Northwestern College of Law. In 1937, he graduated from law school
Law school
A law school is an institution specializing in legal education.- Law degrees :- Canada :...
at what is now Lewis & Clark Law School
Lewis & Clark Law School
Lewis and Clark Law School is a private American law school located in Portland, Oregon. In the last ten years, L&C's Environmental Law program has been the highest-rated in the United States eight times....
in 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...
, with a juris doctorate, and passed the bar that year. Holman began practicing law in Oregon City, Oregon
Oregon City, Oregon
Oregon City was the first city in the United States west of the Rocky Mountains to be incorporated. It is the county seat of Clackamas County, Oregon...
, before joining the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Judicial career
After World War II Holman returned to Oregon where he served as a circuit court judgeJudge
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 Clackamas County
Clackamas County, Oregon
Clackamas County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oregon. The county was named after the Native Americans living in the area, the Clackamas Indians, who were part of the Chinookan people. As of 2010, the population was 375,992...
for 15 years ending in 1965. He was appointed to the court by Governor Douglas McKay
Douglas McKay
James Douglas McKay was an American businessman and politician from Oregon. A native of the state, he served in World War I before he became a successful businessman, mainly as a car dealership owner in the capital city of Salem. A Republican, he served as a city councilor and mayor of Salem...
in 1950. While on the bench in that court, his 1960 decision in a case that allowed the use of public funds for purchasing textbooks for parochial schools was overturned by the Oregon Supreme Court, whose decision was left intact by the United States Supreme Court when they denied certification. In 1964, Holman was elected to the Oregon Supreme Court filling the position of George Rossman
George Rossman
George Rossman was an American lawyer and judge. He was the 29th Chief Justice of the Oregon Supreme Court in the United States. The Illinois native served on Oregon’s highest court for the longest time of any judge in the court’s history, from 1927 to 1965...
whose term had expired. Holman won re-election to additional six-year terms in 1970 and 1976. He resigned from the state's highest court on October 16, 1979, before the end of his term, with the resignation effective January 20, 1980.
Later life and family
In 1937, he married Louise Holman who died in 1989. They did not have any children. Holman is a Life Trustee at Lewis & Clark CollegeLewis & Clark College
Lewis & Clark College is a private institution of higher learning located in Portland, Oregon. Made up of an undergraduate College of Arts and Sciences, a School of Law, and a Graduate School of Education and Counseling. Lewis & Clark is a member of the Annapolis Group of colleges with athletic...
. Justice Holman is currently a senior judge for the state of Oregon, which allows the Chief Justice of the Oregon Supreme Court to appoint him as a judge on a temporary basis if a need arises. In 2005, at the age of 91, Holman and other family members created the Holman Family Scholarship for graduates of Molalla High School.