Home County: Jasper

Term of service at the Supreme Court of Missouri: January 1917 – December 1920

Judge Fred Lincoln Williams was born May 31, 1879, in Fincastle, Indiana. After attending public school, he attended DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana. After graduating from DePauw University in 1902 with a bachelor of philosophy degree, he attended Indiana Law School in Indianapolis. After completing law school, he moved to Joplin, Missouri, and began practicing law in January 1903. He became a member of the Jasper County Bar and was a partner in the firm Cole, Burnett and Williams. 

In January 1913, the Supreme Court of Missouri judges appointed Williams to be a commissioner to fill the unexpired term of Judge Henry Bond, whom citizens had elected as a judge on the Court. In April 1915, the Court reappointed Williams for a four-year term expiring in April 1919. 

Missouri voters in 1916 elected Williams as a judge of the Court  for a four-year term beginning January 1, 1917 and ending December 31, 1920.  After his service with the Court, he moved to St. Louis and resumed the practice of law with the firm Wilfley, Williams, McIntyre, and Nardin, later known as Williams, Nelson, and English. On February 23, 1922, Williams became a charter member of the newly created American Law Institute during a meeting he attended in Washington, D.C. In 1924, Williams continued his service within the legal community as chairman of the Missouri Bar Association’s newly formed Committee on Legal Education and Admission to the Bar. 

Williams was a member of the Missouri Bar, the Order of the Coif and an honorary member of the international legal honor society, Phi Delta Phi. 

Judge Fred L. Williams died May 20, 1949, in University City at the age of 69.

Biographical information authored in 2022 by Allison Cathey, University of Missouri-Columbia. 

“About, International Legal Honor Society,” information courtesy of Phi Delta Phi website, accessed on June 24, 2022.

Charles F. Lamkin, “Fred Lincoln Williams, DePauw, ’02,” in The Scroll of Phi Delta Theta, Thomas Alexander Davis, ed., vol. xli, (Menasha, WI: George Banta Publishing Company, 1916-1917), 401, information courtesy of Google Books, accessed June 23, 2022.

“Committees of the Missouri Bar Association,” in Law Series 30, The University of Missouri Bar Bulletin, vol. 23, no. 28, Law Series 25-32, Kenneth C. Sears, ed., (Columbia, MO: The Missouri Bar Association), 63, accessed June 24, 2022.

Cornelius Roach, compiler, Cornelius Roach, Secretary of State, Official Manual of the State of Missouri, for the Years 1915-1916, (Jefferson City, MO: The Hugh Stephens Printing Company, 1916), 171, information courtesy of the Missouri Digital Heritage website, Missouri State Archives, accessed June 23, 2022. 

“Court Commissioners Reappointed.” Iron County Register, (Ironton, Missouri), Thursday, April 8, 1915, information courtesy of the SHSMO Digital Newspaper Project, State Historical Society of Missouri, accessed June 24, 2022.

“Fred Lincoln Williams,” The Division of Health of Missouri, Standard Certificate of Death, filed June 18, 1949, information courtesy of Missouri Death Certificates, 1910-1971 Database, Missouri State Archives, accessed June 23, 2022. 

Guy A. Thompson, “Address Delivered by the President of the Missouri Bar Association at a Dinner Given by the St. Joseph Bar Association,” in  Program of Missouri Bar Association 29 University of Missouri Bulletin Law Series, article 5, (January 24, 1924), 36-37, information courtesy of University of Missouri School of Law Scholarship Repository, accessed June 19, 2022.

John L. Sullivan, compiler, John L. Sullivan, Secretary of State, Official Manual of the State of Missouri for the Years 1917-1918, (Jefferson City, MO: The Hugh Stephens Co., Printers, 1918) 93, information courtesy of the Missouri Digital Heritage website, Missouri State Archives, accessed June 23, 2022.

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: Hugh Stephens Company, 1920), 109, information courtesy of the Missouri Digital Heritage website, Missouri State Archives, accessed on June 23, 2022.

Perry S. Rader, Reports of Cases Determined by the Supreme Court of the State of Missouri, Between December 24, 1912 and February 19, 1913, vol. 247, (Columbia, MO: E.W. Stephens, Publisher, 1913), iv, information courtesy of Missouri Digital Heritage website, Missouri State Archives, accessed June 23, 2022.

Perry S. Rader, reporter, Reports of Cases Determined by the Supreme Court of the State of Missouri, Between July 3, 1916 and February 2, 1917, vol. 269 (Columbia, MO: E.W. Stephens Publishing Co., 1917), iii, information courtesy of the Missouri Digital Heritage website, Missouri State Archives, accessed June 23, 2022.

Rochelle Riordan, contributor, “Fred L Williams, 31 May 1879-20 May 1949 (aged 69),” memorial id 13860170, information courtesy of FindAGrave.com website, added 4 April 2006, Forest Hill Cemetery, Shelbyville, Shelby County, Indiana, accessed June 17, 2022.

Stephen I. Langmaid, “The American Law Institute,” in Law Series 26, The University of Missouri Bar Bulletin, vol. 23, no. 28, Law Series 25-32, Kenneth C. Sears, ed., (Columbia, MO: The Missouri Bar Association), 40 and 45, accessed June 24, 2022.

Supreme Court of Missouri, Memorial to Judge Fred L. Williams, Judge of the Supreme Court, 1917-1920, (Jefferson City, MO: September 17, 1949), 1.

“Williams A Winner,” Ripley County Democrat, (Doniphan, Missouri), Friday, July 28, 1916, information courtesy of Chronicling America website, accessed June 24, 2022.