Judge William T. Ragland

 

Home County: Marion

 Term of service at the Supreme Court of Missouri: January 1923 - December 1932

 

Judge William T. Ragland was born on October 5, 1866, in Marion County, Missouri.[i] He was educated in public schools at Monroe City, Missouri[ii] and then attended the Northeast Missouri State Teachers’ College (now Truman State University) in Kirksville, Missouri.[iii]  He taught for two years before attending law school.[iv] For his legal education, Ragland attended Washington University, in St. Louis.[v] In June of 1889, he was admitted to the Missouri Bar and opened a law practice in Monroe City, Missouri.[vi]


From 1893 to 1897, Ragland served as the prosecuting attorney for Monroe County.[vii]  Ragland was a member of the State Board of Law Examiners from July 1, 1905 to January 1, 1911.[viii] During his membership with the first Board of Law Examiners, he served as President.[ix]  Ragland served as a member for six years.[x] In November of 1910, Ragland was elected as a judge for the Tenth judicial circuit (which consisted of the counties of Monroe, Marion, and Ralls)[xi] and ex officio judge of the Court of Common Pleas for a six-year term.[xii] He was re-elected in 1916, and served until April 1919,[xiii] when he was appointed to the Court as a Commissioner, for a four-year term.[xiv]


In November of 1922,[xv] he was elected to serve on the Supreme Court of Missouri for a ten-year term.[xvi] Judge Ragland began his service with the Court in January of 1923.[xvii] In October of 1928, he was elected President of the Conference of Appellate and Circuit Judges.[xviii]  In 1930, while a judge with the Court, he was awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws by the University of Missouri-Columbia.[xix]  He served as Chief Justice of the Court from January 18, 1930[xx] to June 23, 1931.[xxi]


He served with the Court until the completion of his ten-year term, on December 31, 1932.[xxii] After he stepped down from the Court, he returned to private practice, in 1933.[xxiii] He continued to practice as an attorney, in Monroe City, Missouri, until he moved to the state of California.[xxiv]


He passed away on June 6, 1952 at his home, in Orange, California, at the age of 85.[xxv]

[i] Charles U. Becker, compiler, Charles U. Becker, Secretary of State, State of Missouri, Official Manual for the Years Nineteen Twenty-Nine and Nineteen Thirty, (Jefferson City, MO: Botz-Hugh Stephens Printing Press, 1930) 119, information courtesy of the Missouri Digital Heritage website, Missouri State Archives, accessed on May 12, 2021, available from https://mdh.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/bluebook/id/15266/rec/27 See also: “Judge Ragland a Missourian,” The Farmington Times, February 24, 1922, image digitized by the State Historical Society of Missouri, information courtesy of The Chronicling America website, accessed on May 16, 2021, available from https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn89066996/1922-02-24/ed-1/seq-6/#date1=1922&index=0&rows=20&words=Judge+Missourian+Ragland&searchType=basic&sequence=0&state=Missouri&date2=1922&proxtext=Judge+Ragland%2C+A+Missourian&y=0&x=0&dateFilterType=yearRange&page=1

[ii] “William T. Ragland, Former Circuit Judge, Dies in California,” The Palmyra Spectator, (Palmyra, Missouri), June 11, 1952, page 1, information courtesy of the State Historical Society of Missouri Digital Newspaper Project, accessed May 25, 2021, available from https://shsmo.newspapers.com/image/118180561/?terms=William%20T.%20Ragland&match=1

[iii] “William T. Ragland, Former Circuit Judge, Dies in California,” The Palmyra Spectator, (Palmyra, Missouri), June 11, 1952, page 1, information courtesy of the State Historical Society of Missouri Digital Newspaper Project, accessed May 25, 2021, available from https://shsmo.newspapers.com/image/118180561/?terms=William%20T.%20Ragland&match=1 See also: “Judge Ragland a Missourian,” The Farmington Times, February 24, 1922, image digitized by the State Historical Society of Missouri, information courtesy of The Chronicling America website, accessed on May 16, 2021, available from https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn89066996/1922-02-24/ed-1/seq-6/#date1=1922&index=0&rows=20&words=Judge+Missourian+Ragland&searchType=basic&sequence=0&state=Missouri&date2=1922&proxtext=Judge+Ragland%2C+A+Missourian&y=0&x=0&dateFilterType=yearRange&page=1

[iv] “William T. Ragland, Former Circuit Judge, Dies in California,” The Palmyra Spectator, June 11, 1952, page 1, information courtesy of The State Historical Society of Missouri Newspaper Database, accessed on May 25, 2021, available from https://shsmo.newspapers.com/image/118180561/?terms=William%20T.%20Ragland&match=1

[v] Charles U. Becker, compiler, Charles U. Becker, Secretary of State, State of Missouri, Official Manual, for the Years Nineteen Twenty-Nine and Nineteen Thirty, (Jefferson City, MO: Botz-Hugh Stephens Press, 1930), 119, information courtesy of the Missouri Digital Heritage website, Missouri State Archives, accessed May 25, 2021, available from https://mdh.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/bluebook/id/15266/rec/27 See also: “William T. Ragland, Former Circuit Judge, Dies in California,” The Palmyra Spectator, June 11, 1952, page 1, information courtesy of The State Historical Society of Missouri Newspaper Database, accessed on May 25, 2021, available from https://shsmo.newspapers.com/image/118180561/?terms=William%20T.%20Ragland&match=1

[vi] Charles U. Becker, compiler, Charles U. Becker, Secretary of State,  State of Missouri, Official Manual for the Years Nineteen Twenty-Nine and Nineteen Thirty, (Jefferson City, MO: Botz-Hugh Stephens Press, 1930), 119, information courtesy of the Missouri Digital Heritage website, Missouri State Archives, accessed on May 12, 2021, available from https://shsmo.newspapers.com/image/118180561/?terms=William%20T.%20Ragland&match=1 See also: “William T. Ragland, Former Circuit Judge, Dies in California,” The Palmyra Spectator, June 11, 1952, page 1, information courtesy of The State Historical Society of Missouri Newspaper Database, accessed on May 25, 2021, available from https://shsmo.newspapers.com/image/118180561/?terms=William%20T.%20Ragland&match=1

[vii] Charles U. Becker, compiler, Charles U. Becker, Secretary of State, State of Missouri, Official Manual for the Years Nineteen Twenty-one and Nineteen Twenty-two, (Jefferson City, MO: The Hugh Stephens Co. Printers, 1922) 91, information courtesy of the Missouri Digital Heritage website, Missouri State Archives, accessed May 25, 2021, available from https://mdh.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/bluebook/id/11642/rec/23

[xi] “William T. Ragland, Former Circuit Judge, Dies in California,” The Palmyra Spectator, June 11, 1952, page 1, information courtesy of The State Historical Society of Missouri Newspaper Database, accessed on May 25, 2021, available from https://shsmo.newspapers.com/image/118180561/?terms=William%20T.%20Ragland&match=1

[xii] Cornelius Roach, compiler, Cornelius Roach, Secretary of State, Official Directory of the State of Missouri for the Years 1915-1916, (Jefferson City, MO: Hugh Stephens Printing Press, 1916) 177, information courtesy of the Missouri Digital Heritage website, Missouri State Archives, accessed on May 5, 2021, available from https://mdh.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/bluebook/id/9584/rec/20

[xiii] “Ragland Gets Appointment,” The Palmyra Spectator, (Palmyra, Missouri), April 16, 1919, information courtesy of The State Historical Society of Missouri Digital Newspaper Project, accessed on May 26, 2021, available from https://shsmo.newspapers.com/image/118479391/?terms=W.%20T.%20Ragland&match=1 

[xiv]  Charles U. Becker, compiler, Charles U. Becker, Secretary of State, State of Missouri, Official Manual, for the Years Nineteen Thirty-One and Nineteen Thirty-Two, (Jefferson City, MO: Botz Printing and Stationery Co., 1932), 117, information courtesy of the Missouri Digital Heritage website, Missouri State Archives, accessed May 25, 2021, available from https://mdh.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/bluebook/id/16214/rec/28 See also: John L. Sullivan, compiler, John L. Sullivan, Secretary of State, Official Manual of the State of Missouri for the Years 1919-1920, (Jefferson City, MO: State Printers, 1920), 113, information courtesy of the Missouri Digital Heritage website, Missouri State Archives, accessed May 25, 2021, available from https://mdh.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/bluebook/id/11642/rec/23

[xv] Charles U. Becker, compiler, Charles U. Becker, Secretary of State, State of Missouri, Official Manual for the Years Nineteen Twenty-Five and Nineteen Twenty-Six, (Jefferson City, MO: The Hugh Stephens Press, 1926), 121, information courtesy of the Missouri Digital Heritage website, Missouri State Archives, accessed May 25, 2021, available from https://mdh.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/bluebook/id/12558/rec/25

[xvi] Charles U. Becker, compiler, Charles U. Becker, Secretary of State, State of Missouri, Official Manual, for the Years Nineteen Twenty-Nine and Nineteen Thirty, (Jefferson City, MO: Botz-Hugh Stephens Press, 1930), 119, information courtesy of the Missouri Digital Heritage website, Missouri State Archives, accessed May 25, 2021, available from https://mdh.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/bluebook/id/15266/rec/27

[xvii] Perry S. Rader, reporter, Reports of Cases Determined by the Supreme Court of the State of Missouri, vol. 297, (Columbia, MO: E.W. Stephens Publishing Co., 1923), iii. Publication located in the Supreme Court of Missouri Law Library.

[xviii] “Judges’ Conference Names Ragland Head,” The St. Joseph Observer, (St. Joseph, Missouri), October 4, 1928, information courtesy of the State Historical Society of Missouri Digital Newspaper Project, accessed May 26, 2021, available from https://shsmo.newspapers.com/image/228962480/?terms=William%20T.%20Ragland&match=1

[xix] “University of Missouri Honorary Degrees, Columbia, Kansas City, Rolla, St. Louis,” Archives of the University of Missouri website, accessed May 25, 2021, available from https://muarchives.missouri.edu/honorarydegree.html#r

[xx] Perry S. Rader, reporter, Reports of Cases Determined by the Supreme Court of the State of Missouri, vol. 324, (Columbia, MO: E.W. Stephens Publishing Co., 1931), iii. Publication located in the Supreme Court of Missouri Law Library.

[xxi] Perry S. Rader, reporter, Reports of Cases Determined by the Supreme Court of the State of Missouri, vol. 328, (Columbia, MO: 1932), iii. Publication located in the Supreme Court of Missouri Law Library.

[xxii] “Judge Ragland to Quit Supreme Court,” The Palmyra Spectator, (Palmyra, Missouri), January 13, 1932, information courtesy of the  State Historical Society of Missouri Digital Newspaper Project, accessed May 26, 2021, available from https://shsmo.newspapers.com/image/118169471/?terms=W.%20T.%20Ragland&match=1

[xxiii] “William T. Ragland, Former Circuit Judge, Dies in California,” The Palmyra Spectator, (Palmyra, Missouri), June 11, 1952, page 4, information courtesy of the State Historical Society of Missouri Digital Newspaper Project, accessed May 25, 2021, available from https://shsmo.newspapers.com/image/118180576

[xxiv] “William T. Ragland, Former Circuit Judge, Dies in California,” The Palmyra Spectator, (Palmyra, Missouri), June 11, 1952, page 4, information courtesy of the State Historical Society of Missouri Digital Newspaper Project, accessed May 25, 2021, available from https://shsmo.newspapers.com/image/118180576/?terms=judge%20ragland&match=1

[xxv] “William T. Ragland, Former Circuit Judge, Dies in California,” The Palmyra Spectator, June 11, 1952, page 1, information courtesy of The State Historical Society of Missouri Newspaper Database, accessed on May 25, 2021, available from https://shsmo.newspapers.com/image/118180561/?terms=William%20T.%20Ragland&match=1 See also: “William T. Ragland Dies,” The Kansas City Times, (Kansas City, Missouri), June 7, 1952, information courtesy of Newspapers.com website, available from https://www.newspapers.com/clip/34990993/william-t-ragland-obituary-the-kansas/

Biographical Information authored by Hannah Loera, 2021, Truman State University.
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