Randall B. Kester
Encyclopedia
Randall B. Kester is an American
attorney and former judge in the state of Oregon
. He was the 69th Associate Justice on the Oregon Supreme Court
, serving from 1957 to 1958. He is currently a lawyer in Portland, Oregon
, at the firm of Cosgrave Vergeer Kester, LLP where he is a senior partner.
. As a child he worked at the county library in Ontario, Oregon
where he earned 50¢ per week to haul books to and from the post office that had been delivered by the Oregon State Library
. During high school he worked for the local newspaper, the Ontario Argus
.
Later while in college at Willamette University
in Salem, Oregon
he worked for the state library when it was located at the Oregon Supreme Court Building
. In 1935, the Oregon State Capitol
burned down and many of the books of the state library were damaged by water as they were stored in the basement of the Supreme Court Building which was connected by tunnels to the Capitol Building. Kester’s job was to try and dry out and salvage as many books as he could. In 1937 as president of the senior class he helped break ground on a new library for Willamette. After graduating in 1937 Kester then attended law school in New York City
at Columbia Law School
, graduating in 1940.
and joined the law firm of Maguire, Shields and Morrison where the primary client was the Union Pacific Railroad
. During World War II
he volunteered with the Mount Hood Ski Patrol and is credited with keeping that organization going during the war when many of the regular patrollers were off fighting in the war.
On January 3, 1957, he was appointed by Oregon Governor Elmo Smith
to the Oregon Supreme Court
to replace Walter L. Tooze
who had died in office. Kester served on the court until March 1, 1958, when he resigned from the bench. He resigned in order to become the general solicitor for Union Pacific’s legal department in the Pacific Northwest.
While working for UP in 1972 he filed briefs in support of the lower court’s decision in the Supreme Court of the United States
case Port of Portland v. United States in a decision regarding interstate commerce. Then in 1980 Kester retired from Union Pacific and went back to his old firm. From 1986 to 1987 he was president of the City Club of Portland
. He currently is a senior partner for Cosgrave Vergeer Kester. As of January 2006 at the age of 89 he was believed to be the oldest lawyer in Oregon
still practicing law.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
attorney and former judge in the state of Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
. He was the 69th Associate Justice on the Oregon Supreme Court
Oregon Supreme Court
The Oregon Supreme Court is the highest state court in the U.S. state of Oregon. The only court that may reverse or modify a decision of the Oregon Supreme Court is the Supreme Court of the United States. The OSC holds court at the Oregon Supreme Court Building in Salem, Oregon, near the capitol...
, serving from 1957 to 1958. He is currently a lawyer in Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
, at the firm of Cosgrave Vergeer Kester, LLP where he is a senior partner.
Early life
Kester was born on October 20, 1916, and grew up in Eastern OregonEastern Oregon
Eastern Oregon is the eastern part of the U.S. state of Oregon. It is not an officially recognized geographic entity, thus the boundaries of the region vary according to context. It is sometimes understood to include only the eight easternmost counties in the state; in other contexts, it includes...
. As a child he worked at the county library in Ontario, Oregon
Ontario, Oregon
Ontario is the largest city in Malheur County, Oregon, United States. It lies along the Snake River at the Idaho border. The population was 10,985 at the 2000 census, with an estimated population of 11,245 in 2006...
where he earned 50¢ per week to haul books to and from the post office that had been delivered by the Oregon State Library
Oregon State Library
The Oregon State Library in Salem, is the library for the U.S. state of Oregon. The mission of the Oregon State Library is to provide quality information services to Oregon state government, provide reading materials to blind and print-disabled Oregonians, and provide leadership, grants, and other...
. During high school he worked for the local newspaper, the Ontario Argus
Argus Observer
The Argus Observer is the daily newspaper of Ontario, Oregon, United States.The paper was established on January 6, 1897, and went through several names and owners before becoming the Argus Observer, which is a reference to Argus Panoptes, a creature from Greek mythology that had 100 eyes...
.
Later while in college at Willamette University
Willamette University
Willamette University is an American private institution of higher learning located in Salem, Oregon. Founded in 1842, it is the oldest university in the Western United States. Willamette is a member of the Annapolis Group of colleges, and is made up of an undergraduate College of Liberal Arts and...
in Salem, Oregon
Salem, Oregon
Salem is the capital of the U.S. state of Oregon, and the county seat of Marion County. It is located in the center of the Willamette Valley alongside the Willamette River, which runs north through the city. The river forms the boundary between Marion and Polk counties, and the city neighborhood...
he worked for the state library when it was located at the Oregon Supreme Court Building
Oregon Supreme Court Building
The Oregon Supreme Court Building is the home to the Oregon Supreme Court, Oregon Court of Appeals, and the Oregon Judicial Department. Located in the state’s capitol of Salem, it is Oregon’s oldest state government building...
. In 1935, the Oregon State Capitol
Oregon State Capitol
The Oregon State Capitol is the building housing the state legislature and the offices of the governor, secretary of state, and treasurer of the U.S. state of Oregon. It is located in the state capital, Salem. The current building, constructed from 1936 to 1938, and expanded in 1977, is the third...
burned down and many of the books of the state library were damaged by water as they were stored in the basement of the Supreme Court Building which was connected by tunnels to the Capitol Building. Kester’s job was to try and dry out and salvage as many books as he could. In 1937 as president of the senior class he helped break ground on a new library for Willamette. After graduating in 1937 Kester then attended law school in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
at Columbia Law School
Columbia Law School
Columbia Law School, founded in 1858, is one of the oldest and most prestigious law schools in the United States. A member of the Ivy League, Columbia Law School is one of the professional graduate schools of Columbia University in New York City. It offers the J.D., LL.M., and J.S.D. degrees in...
, graduating in 1940.
Legal career
After graduation from Columbia, Kester moved to Portland, OregonPortland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
and joined the law firm of Maguire, Shields and Morrison where the primary client was the Union Pacific Railroad
Union Pacific Railroad
The Union Pacific Railroad , headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, is the largest railroad network in the United States. James R. Young is president, CEO and Chairman....
. 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...
he volunteered with the Mount Hood Ski Patrol and is credited with keeping that organization going during the war when many of the regular patrollers were off fighting in the war.
On January 3, 1957, he was appointed by Oregon Governor Elmo Smith
Elmo Smith
Elmo Everett Smith was an American politician, a Republican, and the 27th Governor of the state of Oregon, U.S., from 1956 to 1957.-Early life:...
to the Oregon Supreme Court
Oregon Supreme Court
The Oregon Supreme Court is the highest state court in the U.S. state of Oregon. The only court that may reverse or modify a decision of the Oregon Supreme Court is the Supreme Court of the United States. The OSC holds court at the Oregon Supreme Court Building in Salem, Oregon, near the capitol...
to replace Walter L. Tooze
Walter L. Tooze
Walter Lincoln Tooze was an American attorney and politician in Oregon. He served as the 66th Associate Justice of the Oregon Supreme Court and as a state district court judge...
who had died in office. Kester served on the court until March 1, 1958, when he resigned from the bench. He resigned in order to become the general solicitor for Union Pacific’s legal department in the Pacific Northwest.
While working for UP in 1972 he filed briefs in support of the lower court’s decision in the Supreme Court of the United States
Supreme Court of the United States
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
case Port of Portland v. United States in a decision regarding interstate commerce. Then in 1980 Kester retired from Union Pacific and went back to his old firm. From 1986 to 1987 he was president of the City Club of Portland
City Club of Portland
The City Club of Portland is a nonprofit, nonpartisan civic organization based in Portland in the U.S. state of Oregon. It was organized in 1916 by a small group of men who began meeting in a downtown Portland restaurant to discuss the city's public institutions and government...
. He currently is a senior partner for Cosgrave Vergeer Kester. As of January 2006 at the age of 89 he was believed to be the oldest lawyer in Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
still practicing law.
Works authored
- The War Industries Board, 1917-1918; A Study in Industrial Mobilization. The American Political Science Review, Vol. 34, No. 4. (Aug., 1940).
- The First duty: a history of the U.S. District Court for Oregon. Portland, Or: U.S. District Court of Oregon Historical Society, (1993), contributor.