Roger L. Dell
Encyclopedia
Roger L. Dell was an American
lawyer
and judge
from Minnesota
. He served as Chief Justice
of the Minnesota Supreme Court
from 1953 to 1962.
Dell was born in the village of Bird Island, Minnesota
. He attended public school in Shakopee
, graduating in 1916. That same year, without any post-secondary education, he enrolled at William Mitchell College of Law
(then the St. Paul College of Law) and obtained his law degree in 1920. He was admitted to the Minnesota Bar and moved to Fergus Falls
. He practiced there with several different law partners until Governor C. Elmer Anderson
appointed him to the Minnesota Supreme Court
in January of 1953. In July of the same year, he was elevated to Chief Justice. Dell left the court in 1962 due to personal reasons.
After his retirement, Dell used his personal wealth to embark upon a "one man urban renewal
project" of the business area of Fergus Falls. He died there in 1966.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
and judge
Judge
A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and in an open...
from Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
. He served as Chief Justice
Chief Justice
The Chief Justice in many countries is the name for the presiding member of a Supreme Court in Commonwealth or other countries with an Anglo-Saxon justice system based on English common law, such as the Supreme Court of Canada, the Constitutional Court of South Africa, the Court of Final Appeal of...
of the Minnesota Supreme Court
Minnesota Supreme Court
The Minnesota Supreme Court is the highest court in the U.S. state of Minnesota and consists of seven members. The court was first assembled as a three-judge panel in 1849 when Minnesota was still a territory. The first members were lawyers from outside of the region who were appointed by...
from 1953 to 1962.
Dell was born in the village of Bird Island, Minnesota
Bird Island, Minnesota
Bird Island is a city on U.S. Route 212 in Renville County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 1,042 at the 2010 census.The city is named for a nearby 60-acre island. At one time, the island, was surrounded by sloughs and covered with many huge, beautiful trees, which were a refuge for...
. He attended public school in Shakopee
Shakopee, Minnesota
Shakopee is a city southwest of downtown Minneapolis in the U.S. state of Minnesota and is the county seat of Scott County. Located on the south bank bend of the Minnesota River, Shakopee and nearby suburbs comprise the southwest portion of Minneapolis-Saint Paul, the thirteenth largest...
, graduating in 1916. That same year, without any post-secondary education, he enrolled at William Mitchell College of Law
William Mitchell College of Law
William Mitchell College of Law, or WMCL, is a private, independent law school located in St. Paul, Minnesota. Accredited by the American Bar Association , it offers full and part-time legal education in pursuit of the Juris Doctor degree....
(then the St. Paul College of Law) and obtained his law degree in 1920. He was admitted to the Minnesota Bar and moved to Fergus Falls
Fergus Falls, Minnesota
Fergus Falls is a city in and the county seat of Otter Tail County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 13,138 at the 2010 census.-Today:...
. He practiced there with several different law partners until Governor C. Elmer Anderson
C. Elmer Anderson
Clyde Elmer Anderson , more commonly known as C. Elmer Anderson, was an American politician. Born in Brainerd, Minnesota, he served as the 28th Governor of Minnesota from September 27, 1951 to January 5, 1955....
appointed him to the Minnesota Supreme Court
Minnesota Supreme Court
The Minnesota Supreme Court is the highest court in the U.S. state of Minnesota and consists of seven members. The court was first assembled as a three-judge panel in 1849 when Minnesota was still a territory. The first members were lawyers from outside of the region who were appointed by...
in January of 1953. In July of the same year, he was elevated to Chief Justice. Dell left the court in 1962 due to personal reasons.
After his retirement, Dell used his personal wealth to embark upon a "one man urban renewal
Urban renewal
Urban renewal is a program of land redevelopment in areas of moderate to high density urban land use. Renewal has had both successes and failures. Its modern incarnation began in the late 19th century in developed nations and experienced an intense phase in the late 1940s – under the rubric of...
project" of the business area of Fergus Falls. He died there in 1966.