William Huntington Kirkpatrick
Encyclopedia
William Huntington Kirkpatrick (October 2, 1885 – November 28, 1970) was a Republican
member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania
.
) was born in Easton, Pennsylvania
. He graduated from Lafayette College
in Easton, in 1905 and attended the law department of the University of Pennsylvania
in 1905 and 1906. He was admitted to the bar and commenced the practice of law in Easton in 1908. He served in the First World War as major and lieutenant colonel, judge advocate
, and was a member of the board of review of courts-martial
in the United States Army
.
Kirkpatrick was elected as a Republican to the Sixty-seventh
Congress. He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1922
. He resumed the practice of law. He was appointed in 1927 as judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania
, and became chief judge in 1933. Kirkpatrick is remembered as "one of the unsung heroes of American corporate
and securities law," issuing early but influential decisions in Insurance Shares Corp. v. Northern Fiscal Corp., which described circumstances in which a corporation's controlling shareholder has a fiduciary duty not to sell the control block to a looter, and Kardon v. National Gypsum Co., first recognizing an implied private cause of action for Rule 10b-5
violations.
Kirkpatrick became a senior judge when he retired in 1958. He died in Cumberstone, Maryland. Interment was in Christ Church Cemetery in Owings Mills, Maryland
.
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
.
Biography
William H. Kirkpatrick (son of William Sebring KirkpatrickWilliam Sebring Kirkpatrick
William Sebring Kirkpatrick was a Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania....
) was born in Easton, Pennsylvania
Easton, Pennsylvania
Easton is a city in Northampton County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 26,800 as of the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Northampton County....
. He graduated from Lafayette College
Lafayette College
Lafayette College is a private coeducational liberal arts and engineering college located in Easton, Pennsylvania, USA. The school, founded in 1826 by James Madison Porter,son of General Andrew Porter of Norristown and citizens of Easton, first began holding classes in 1832...
in Easton, in 1905 and attended the law department of the University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
in 1905 and 1906. He was admitted to the bar and commenced the practice of law in Easton in 1908. He served in the First World War as major and lieutenant colonel, judge advocate
Judge Advocate General's Corps, U.S. Army
The Judge Advocate General's Corps of the United States Army is composed of Army officers who are also lawyers and who provide legal services to the Army at all levels of command. The Judge Advocate General's Legal Service includes judge advocates, warrant officers, paralegal noncommissioned...
, and was a member of the board of review of courts-martial
Courts-martial in the United States
Courts-martial in the United States are criminal trials conducted by the U.S. military. Most commonly, courts-martial are convened to try members of the U.S. military for violations of the Uniform Code of Military Justice , which is the U.S. military's criminal code...
in the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
.
Kirkpatrick was elected as a Republican to the Sixty-seventh
67th United States Congress
The Sixty-seventh United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1921 to March 4, 1923, during the first two years...
Congress. He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1922
United States House election, 1922
The U.S. House election, 1922 was an election for the United States House of Representatives in 1922 which occurred in the middle of President Warren G. Harding's term....
. He resumed the practice of law. He was appointed in 1927 as judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania
United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania
The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania is one of the original 13 federal judiciary districts created by the Judiciary Act of 1789...
, and became chief judge in 1933. Kirkpatrick is remembered as "one of the unsung heroes of American corporate
Corporate law
Corporate law is the study of how shareholders, directors, employees, creditors, and other stakeholders such as consumers, the community and the environment interact with one another. Corporate law is a part of a broader companies law...
and securities law," issuing early but influential decisions in Insurance Shares Corp. v. Northern Fiscal Corp., which described circumstances in which a corporation's controlling shareholder has a fiduciary duty not to sell the control block to a looter, and Kardon v. National Gypsum Co., first recognizing an implied private cause of action for Rule 10b-5
SEC Rule 10b-5
SEC Rule 10b-5, codified at 17 C.F.R. § 240.10b-5, is one of the most important rules promulgated by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, pursuant to its authority granted under § 10 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934...
violations.
Kirkpatrick became a senior judge when he retired in 1958. He died in Cumberstone, Maryland. Interment was in Christ Church Cemetery in Owings Mills, Maryland
Owings Mills, Maryland
Owings Mills is an unincorporated community and a census-designated place in Baltimore County, Maryland, United States. It is a suburb of Baltimore. The population was 20,193 at the 2000 census. Owings Mills is home to the northern terminus for the Baltimore Metro Subway and to Owings Mills Mall....
.