Melvin C. George certificate

Collection — Multiple Collection Box: [CA 1881 Nov 30] 1

Identifier: CA 1881 Nov 30

Scope and Contents

This collection is comprised of the certificate permitting Melvin C. George to practice as an attorney before the U.S. Supreme Court. The motion to grant him this standing was made by J. H. Mitchell, and the certificate is signed by James H. McKenney, Clerk of the Supreme Court of the United States.

Dates

1881 November 30

Creator

George, M. C. (Melvin Clark), 1849-1933 (Person)

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open to the public. Collection must be used in Special Collections and University Archives Reading Room. Collection or parts of collection may be stored offsite. Please contact Special Collections and University Archives in advance of your visit to allow for transportation time.

Conditions Governing Use

Property rights reside with Special Collections and University Archives, University of Oregon Libraries. Copyright resides with the creators of the documents or their heirs. All requests for permission to publish collection materials must be submitted to Special Collections and University Archives. The reader must also obtain permission of the copyright holder.

Biographical / Historical

Melvin C. George was born near Caldwell, Ohio on May 13th, 1849 to Presley and Mahala (Nickerson) George. After losing five of their eight children to diphtheria and scarlet fever, the family headed west, eventually settling near Lebanon, Oregon, where Presley worked as a farmer.

Melvin attended Santiam Academy, and later Willamette University in Salem. Upon graduation from college, he worked briefly as a teacher at the Santiam Academy, then as the principal of the public school in Albany, and finally in the office of Judge Powell of Albany. He opened his own practice in Portland in 1877, and in 1898 was elected judge of the State Circuit Court. He was a member of the Oregon State Senate from 1876 to 1880, and served in the United States House of Representatives from 1881 to 1885. He also served as director of the Portland Public School System, and as Chairman of the Board of Bridge Commissioners.

In 1872, Melvin married Mary Eckler in Lebanon, Oregon; they had three children together. Melvin C. George died February 22, 1933.

[Source: Gaston, Joseph. Portland, Oregon: Its History and Builders. Portland, OR: The S.J. Clarke Publishing Company, 1911.]