Walter L. Tooze
Encyclopedia
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. Born in Oregon
, he was veteran of World War I
and unsuccessful candidate for the United States Congress
.
on French Prairie
in the Willamette Valley
. The son of Walter and Sadie Barnes Tooze, he attended a variety of schools including one in Woodburn, Oregon
, along with Bishop Scott Academy
and Mt. Angel Academy. Tooze then went to the University of Michigan
where he graduated in 1908 with a degree in law.
in 1908. He remained there until 1917, before practicing in McMinnville
from 1919 to 1929. Beginning in 1917 he served as a reading clerk in the Oregon State Senate
, and remained in that position until 1923. During World War I Tooze was a captain in the U.S. Army’s 91st Division.
In 1929 he moved his practice to Portland
where he was then appointed as a temporary judge in 1941 for Oregon’s Fourth Judicial District. The following year he won election to that same position. Previously, in 1938 he was a candidate in the Republican primary for Oregon’s third congressional district
, and in 1940 was a delegate to the Republican National Convention
.
Then on November 16, 1950, Walter Tooze was appointed by Oregon Governor
Douglas McKay
to replace justice John O. Bailey
on the Oregon Supreme Court after Bailey resigned his post. Tooze then won a full six-year term that same year and won re-election in 1956. He then died in office on December 21, 1956 shortly after winning re-election.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
attorney and politician 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...
. He served as the 66th Associate Justice
Associate Justice
Associate Justice or Associate Judge is the title for a member of a judicial panel who is not the Chief Justice in some jurisdictions. The title "Associate Justice" is used for members of the United States Supreme Court and some state supreme courts, and for some other courts in Commonwealth...
of 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...
and as a state district court judge. Born 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...
, he was veteran of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and unsuccessful candidate for the United States Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
.
Early life
Tooze was born February 24, 1887 in Butteville, OregonButteville, Oregon
Butteville is an unincorporated community in Marion County, Oregon, United States. For statistical purposes, the United States Census Bureau has defined Butteville as a census-designated place . The census definition of the area may not precisely correspond to local understanding of the area with...
on French Prairie
French Prairie
French Prairie is a prairie located in Marion County, Oregon, United States, in the Willamette Valley between the Willamette River and the Pudding River, north of Salem...
in the Willamette Valley
Willamette Valley
The Willamette Valley is the most populated region in the state of Oregon of the United States. Located in the state's northwest, the region is surrounded by tall mountain ranges to the east, west and south and the valley's floor is broad, flat and fertile because of Ice Age conditions...
. The son of Walter and Sadie Barnes Tooze, he attended a variety of schools including one in Woodburn, Oregon
Woodburn, Oregon
Woodburn is a city in Marion County, Oregon, United States. Incorporated in 1889, the community had been platted in 1871 after the arrival of the railroad. The city is located in the northern end of the Willamette Valley along Interstate 5 between Portland and Salem...
, along with Bishop Scott Academy
Bishop Scott Academy
Bishop Scott Academy was a school located in Portland, Oregon, United States. Affiliated with the Episcopal Church, the school was named for the Reverend Thomas Fielding Scott. The school opened in 1870 to educate young men in good citizenship and prepare them to enter the ministry...
and Mt. Angel Academy. Tooze then went to the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
where he graduated in 1908 with a degree in law.
Legal career
Tooze then returned to Oregon and began a law practice in DallasDallas, Oregon
The city of Dallas is the county seat of Polk County, Oregon, United States. The population was 14,583 at the 2010 census.Dallas is located on Rickreall Creek, approximately 15 miles west of Salem, at an altitude of 325 feet above sea level...
in 1908. He remained there until 1917, before practicing in McMinnville
McMinnville, Oregon
McMinnville is the county seat and largest city of Yamhill County, Oregon, United States. According to Oregon Geographic Names, it was named by its founder, William T. Newby , an early immigrant on the Oregon Trail, for his hometown of McMinnville, Tennessee...
from 1919 to 1929. Beginning in 1917 he served as a reading clerk in the Oregon State Senate
Oregon State Senate
The Oregon State Senate is the upper house of the state-wide legislature for the U.S. state of Oregon. Along with the lower chamber Oregon House of Representatives it makes up the Oregon Legislative Assembly. There are 30 members of the State Senate, representing 30 districts across the state,...
, and remained in that position until 1923. During World War I Tooze was a captain in the U.S. Army’s 91st Division.
In 1929 he moved his practice to Portland
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...
where he was then appointed as a temporary judge in 1941 for Oregon’s Fourth Judicial District. The following year he won election to that same position. Previously, in 1938 he was a candidate in the Republican primary for Oregon’s third congressional district
Oregon's 3rd congressional district
Oregon's 3rd congressional district covers most of Multnomah County, including Portland east of the Willamette River, Gresham, and Troutdale. It also includes the northern part of Clackamas County, including Milwaukie. Parts of northwest Portland also lie within the district...
, and in 1940 was a delegate to the Republican National Convention
Republican National Convention
The Republican National Convention is the presidential nominating convention of the Republican Party of the United States. Convened by the Republican National Committee, the stated purpose of the convocation is to nominate an official candidate in an upcoming U.S...
.
Then on November 16, 1950, Walter Tooze was appointed by Oregon Governor
Governor of Oregon
The Governor of Oregon is the top executive of the government of the U.S. state of Oregon. The title of governor was also applied to the office of Oregon's chief executive during the provisional and U.S. territorial governments....
Douglas McKay
Douglas McKay
James Douglas McKay was an American businessman and politician from Oregon. A native of the state, he served in World War I before he became a successful businessman, mainly as a car dealership owner in the capital city of Salem. A Republican, he served as a city councilor and mayor of Salem...
to replace justice John O. Bailey
John O. Bailey
John Ora Bailey was an American judge and politician in the state of Oregon. He was the 27th Chief Justice of the Oregon Supreme Court, serving on Oregon’s highest court from 1933 to 1950. Bailey also served in the Oregon House of Representatives and the Oregon State Senate...
on the Oregon Supreme Court after Bailey resigned his post. Tooze then won a full six-year term that same year and won re-election in 1956. He then died in office on December 21, 1956 shortly after winning re-election.
Opinions authored
- Landgraver vs. Emanuel Lutheran Charity Board, 203 Or. 489, 280 P.2d 301 (1955) (tortTortA tort, in common law jurisdictions, is a wrong that involves a breach of a civil duty owed to someone else. It is differentiated from a crime, which involves a breach of a duty owed to society in general...
liabilityLegal liabilityLegal liability is the legal bound obligation to pay debts.* In law a person is said to be legally liable when they are financially and legally responsible for something. Legal liability concerns both civil law and criminal law. See Strict liability. Under English law, with the passing of the Theft...
immunity for charities)