Charles H. O'Brien
Encyclopedia
Charles Herbert O'Brien (July 30, 1920 – January 19, 2007), was a Tennessee
State Senator
in the 83rd and 84th Tennessee General Assemblies, a justice on the Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals
(elected in 1970) and Tennessee Supreme Court
(1987–1994), and the husband of well-known Tennessee Democratic
politician Anna Belle Clement O'Brien
, who was the sister of the Tennessee Governor Frank G. Clement
and served as her brother's chief of staff and as a state senator.
, the son of Herbert Rogers O'Brien and Agnes Montanya O'Brien. He served in the United States Army
during World War II
and the Korean War
. He attended Cumberland Law School, graduating in 1947, and practiced law in Memphis, Tennessee
from 1948 to 1967 and in Crossville, Tennessee
from 1967 to 1970. He was elected to the state legislature as a representative from Memphis in 1960. In 1970 he was elected to the Court of Criminal Appeals, where he served until 1987 when he was appointed to the state Supreme Court by Governor Ned Ray McWherter. He served on that court for seven years, retiring in 1994. Earlier that year he had become chief justice.
O'Brien married Anna Belle Clement in 1966. They remained married at the time of his death in 2007. He died in Crossville from complications of diabetes. He had a son and two daughters by a previous marriage; his daughters, Diane Solomon and Heather O'Brien survived him.
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
State Senator
Tennessee Senate
The Tennessee Senate is the upper house of the Tennessee state legislature, which is known formally as the Tennessee General Assembly.The Tennessee Senate, according to the state constitution of 1870, is composed of 33 members, one-third the size of the Tennessee House of Representatives. Senators...
in the 83rd and 84th Tennessee General Assemblies, a justice on the Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals
Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals
The Court of Criminal Appeals is one of Tennessee's two intermediate appellate courts. It hears trial court appeals in felony and misdemeanor cases, as well as post-conviction petitions. Appeals in civil cases are heard by the Tennessee Court of Appeals....
(elected in 1970) and Tennessee Supreme Court
Tennessee Supreme Court
The Tennessee Supreme Court is the state supreme court of the state of Tennessee. Cornelia Clark is the current Chief Justice.Unlike other states, in which the state attorney general is directly elected or appointed by the governor or state legislature, the Tennessee Supreme Court appoints the...
(1987–1994), and the husband of well-known Tennessee Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
politician Anna Belle Clement O'Brien
Anna Belle Clement O'Brien
Anna Belle Clement O'Brien was a Tennessee politician, nicknamed "the first lady of Tennessee politics." She served as the governor's chief of staff from 1963 to 1967, was a member of the Tennessee House of Representatives in the 89th General Assembly, from 1975 to 1977, and a Tennessee State...
, who was the sister of the Tennessee Governor Frank G. Clement
Frank G. Clement
Frank Goad Clement served as Governor of Tennessee from 1953 to 1959, and again from 1963 to 1967.-Early life:...
and served as her brother's chief of staff and as a state senator.
Biography
O'Brien was born July 30, 1920 in Orange, New JerseyOrange, New Jersey
The City of Orange is a city and township in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 30,134...
, the son of Herbert Rogers O'Brien and Agnes Montanya O'Brien. He served in the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
. He attended Cumberland Law School, graduating in 1947, and practiced law in Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
from 1948 to 1967 and in Crossville, Tennessee
Crossville, Tennessee
Crossville is a city in and the county seat of Cumberland County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 10,795 at the 2010 Census.-Geography:Crossville is located at...
from 1967 to 1970. He was elected to the state legislature as a representative from Memphis in 1960. In 1970 he was elected to the Court of Criminal Appeals, where he served until 1987 when he was appointed to the state Supreme Court by Governor Ned Ray McWherter. He served on that court for seven years, retiring in 1994. Earlier that year he had become chief justice.
O'Brien married Anna Belle Clement in 1966. They remained married at the time of his death in 2007. He died in Crossville from complications of diabetes. He had a son and two daughters by a previous marriage; his daughters, Diane Solomon and Heather O'Brien survived him.