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Term of Service at the Supreme Court of Missouri: December 1910 – December 1912
Judge Franklin Ferriss was born September 22, 1849, in Peru, Clinton County, New York. In 1869, he began attending Cornell University, graduating in 1873 with a bachelor of science degree. After graduation, he moved to St. Louis. In 1875, Ferriss graduated from Saint Louis Law School with his law degree (LL.B.) and was admitted to the state bar in St. Louis.
Ferriss then began practicing law with his brother-in-law, Clinton Rowell, at Fisher & Rowell, later named Rowell & Ferriss. In November 1898, voters elected Ferriss as a circuit judge for St. Louis, then the Eighth Judicial Circuit. He served in that position until November 10, 1903, when he was elected to be general counsel for the 1904 Saint Louis World’s Fair. In 1907, Ferriss was appointed as the special examiner to hear evidence for a lawsuit involving Standard Oil. During that time, he taught commercial law and was also the Madill professor of contracts at Washington University Law School until December 1910.
On December 23, 1910, then-Governor Herbert Hadley appointed Ferriss to the Supreme Court of Missouri after the death of Judge Gavon D. Burgess. On December 27, 1910, he took the oath of office, administered by the clerk of the court, J. D. Allen, and sat with the Court to hear oral arguments. Ferriss served on the Supreme Court of Missouri until the expiration of Judge Burgess’ term, which concluded December 31, 1912.
Ferriss then returned to private practice and was a partner in the St. Louis law firm Ferriss, Zumbalen & Ferriss. He also served as a member of the Washington University law school’s advisory and examining board. By 1927, Ferriss and his wife had moved to the state of California.
Judge Franklin Ferriss died November 10, 1933, in La Jolla, California. he was 84 years old.
Biographical information by Dylan Powers-Cody, 2024, Truman State University.
Sources used (a copy of each is on file at the Supreme Court of Missouri Law Library):
Arthur O. Lovejoy, editor, The Bulletin of the Washington University Association, (St. Louis, MO: The Freegard Press, 1903), 128, information courtesy of Google Books, accessed April 12, 2024.
Bulletin of Washington University, Annual Review, series ii, vol. ix, no. ix, (St. Louis, MO: 1911), 9, information courtesy of Google Books, accessed April 12, 2024.
Bulletin of Washington University, St. Louis, Fifty-Sixth Annual Catalogue, series ii, volume xi, no. i, (St. Louis, MO: Publication of Washington University, 1912), 201, information courtesy of Google Books, accessed April 12, 2024.
Cornelius Roach, compiler, Cornelius Roach, Secretary of State, Official Manual of the State of Missouri, 1911-1912, (Jefferson City, MO: The Hugh Stephens Publishing Company), 70.
Cornell University Alumni Trustees, Cornell Alumni Directory, vol. xiii, no. 12, (Ithaca, New York: Cornell Publications Printing Company, 1922), vi and104, information courtesy of Google Books, accessed April 12, 2024.
“Elected General Counsel World’s Fair, Judge Franklin Ferriss Will Leave Bench,” The St. Louis Republic, (St. Louis, Missouri), November 11, 1903, SHSMO Digital Newspaper Project, information courtesy of the State Historical Society of Missouri website, accessed April 12, 2024.
“Ferriss Appointed Judge,” The Marshall Republican, (Marshall, Missouri), December 30, 1910, SHSMO Digital Newspaper Project, information courtesy of the State Historical Society of Missouri website, accessed April 12, 2024.
“Ferriss Funeral Services Tuesday,” St. Louis Globe-Democrat, (St. Louis, Missouri), November 12, 1933, SHSMO Digital Newspaper Database, information courtesy of the State Historical Society of Missouri website, accessed April 12, 2024.
“Ferriss New Judge of Supreme Court,” St. Louis Globe-Democrat, (Saint Louis, Missouri), December 24, 1910, SHSMO Digital Newspaper Project, information courtesy of the State Historical Society of Missouri website, accessed April 12, 2024.
“Ferriss Sworn in as Supreme Judge,” St. Louis Globe-Democrat, (St. Louis, Missouri), December 28, 1910, SHSMO Digital Newspaper Project, information courtesy of the State Historical Society of Missouri website, accessed April 16, 2024.
“Franklin Ferriss,” California, U.S., Death Index, 1905-1939, information courtesy of Ancestry.com website, accessed April 11, 2024.
Hubbell’s Legal Directory, (Thirty-Seventh Year), (New York, NY: The Hubbell Publishing Co., 1907), 181, information courtesy of Google Books, accessed April 12, 2024.
Joseph A. Lynch, editor, Hubbell’s Legal Directory, (Forty-Sixth Year), (New York, NY: The Hubbell Publishing Company, 1916), 224.
“Judge Ferriss is Approved by All Lawyers,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, (St. Louis, Missouri) June 25, 1907, SHSMO Digital Newspaper Project, information courtesy of the State Historical Society of Missouri website, accessed April 12, 2024.
“Political,” St. Louis Globe-Democrat, (St. Louis, Missouri), November 8, 1898, SHSMO Digital Newspaper Project, information courtesy of the State Historical Society of Missouri website, accessed April 12, 2024.
Sam B. Cook, compiler, Sam B. Cook, Secretary of State, Official Manual of the State of Missouri, For the Years 1903-1904, (Jefferson City, MO: Tribune Printing Company, State Printers and Binders, 1904), 214. Publication located in the Supreme Court of Missouri Law Library.
Samuel B. Cook, compiler, Sam B. Cook, Secretary of State, Official Manual of the State of Missouri, For the Years 1901-1902, (Jefferson City, MO: Tribune Printing Company, State Printers and Binders, 1902), 471.
St. Louis Post-Dispatch, (St. Louis, Missouri), April 26, 1927, SHSMO Digital Newspaper Database, information courtesy of the State Historical Society of Missouri website, accessed April 12, 2024.
The Ten-Year Book of Cornell University, ii, 1868-1888, (Ithaca, New York: Andrus & Church, 1888), 95, information courtesy of Google Books, accessed on April 12, 2024.