John W. Rowell

John W. Rowell
From Volume 5 of 1923's Vermont, the Green Mountain State
Chief Justice of the Vermont Supreme Court
In office 1902–1913
Preceded by	Russell S. Taft
Succeeded by	George M. Powers
Associate Justice of the Vermont Supreme Court
In office 1882–1902
Preceded by	Homer E. Royce
Succeeded by	Seneca Haselton
Member of the Vermont Senate
In office 1874–1876 Serving with William T. George
Preceded by	William R. Shedd, Lyman G. Hinckley
Succeeded by	John Lynde, Edmund P. George
Constituency	Orange County
State's Attorney of Orange County, Vermont
In office 1862–1864
Preceded by	Roswell Farnham
Succeeded by	Samuel M. Gleason
Member of the Vermont House of Representatives
In office 1861–1863
Preceded by	Ziba Sprague
Succeeded by	Lyman L. Wheeler
Constituency	Randolph
Personal details
Born	(1835-06-09)June 9, 1835 Lebanon, New Hampshire, U.S.
Died	February 13, 1924(1924-02-13) (aged 88) Randolph, Vermont, U.S.
Resting place	South View Cemetery, Randolph, Vermont, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Mary L. Wheeler (m. 1858)
Education	West Randolph Academy, Randolph, Vermont, U.S.
Profession	Attorney

John W. Rowell (June 9, 1835 – February 13, 1924) was a Vermont attorney and businessman. He is notable for his service as an associate justice of the Vermont Supreme Court from 1882 to 1902, and chief justice from 1902 to 1913.

John W. Rowell was born in Lebanon, New Hampshire on June 9, 1835.^[1] He was raised in Randolph, Vermont, educated in the schools of Randolph, and graduated from West Randolph Academy.^[1] In 1856 he began to study law in the office of Jefferson P. Kidder;^[2] after Kidder moved from Vermont, Rowell continued to study in the office of Judge Edmund Weston.^[2] Rowell also attended a course of instruction at the Ohio State and Union Law College of Poland, Ohio.^[2]

Rowell was admitted to the bar in 1858, and began to practice in Randolph as the partner of Judge John B. Hutchinson.^[2] He was a longtime member of the board of directors of the Northfield Bank, and was also active with the Randolph National Bank as a vice president and director.^[3] A Republican, Rowell served in the Vermont House of Representatives from 1861 to 1863.^[1] From 1862 to 1864 he served as state's attorney of Orange County.^[1]

After his partnership with John B. Hutchinson was dissolved in 1866, Rowell practiced alone in Randolph until 1870, when he moved to Chicago to practice as the partner of John Hutchinson, who was notable for his service as U.S. Consul in Nice, France and Secretary of the Dakota Territory.^[2] In September 1871, Rowell decided to return to Randolph and continue practicing law.^[2]

From 1872 to 1880 Rowell was the reporter of decisions for the Vermont Supreme Court.^[1] In 1874, Rowell was elected to the Vermont Senate, where he served one term and was chairman of the Judiciary Committee and the committee that oversaw operations at the state asylum for the insane.^[1]

In 1882, Vermont Chief Justice John Pierpont died and Associate Justice Homer E. Royce was appointed to succeed him.^[2] Governor Roswell Farnham then appointed Rowell to succeed Royce as an associate justice.^[1] Rowell served until 1902, when he was named to succeed Russell S. Taft as chief justice.^[3] He served as chief justice until retiring in 1913, and was succeeded by George M. Powers.^[3]

In 1893, Rowell received the honorary degree of LL.D. from the University of Vermont.^[3] In 1913 he received an LL.D. from Middlebury College.^[3]

After retiring, Rowell continued to reside in Randolph, where he died on February 13, 1924.^[3] He was buried at South View Cemetery in Randolph.^[3]

In 1858, Rowell married Mary L. Wheeler (1832–1919), the daughter of Reverend Leonard Wheeler and Hannah (Gilman) Wheeler of Randolph.^[1][4] They had no children.^[1][4]

• "Mrs. John W. Rowell Dies". The Burlington Free Press. Burlington, VT. January 29, 1919 – via Newspapers.com.
• "John W. Rowell is Dead at 88". Burlington Free Press. Burlington, VT. February 14, 1924 – via Newspapers.com.

• Dodge, Prentiss Cutler (1912). Encyclopedia of Vermont Biography. Burlington, VT: Ullery Publishing Company. p. 87.
• Ullery, Jacob G. (1894). "Men of Vermont Illustrated". Brattleboro, VT: Transcript Publishing Company.

• Vermont Archives and Records Administration (2017). "Justices of the Supreme Court, 1778–Present" (PDF). sec.state.vt.us/. Montpelier, VT: Office of the Vermont Secretary of State.
• John W. Rowell at Find a Grave