Frank Richman
Frank Richman | |
|---|---|
| Justice of theIndiana Supreme Court | |
| In office January 6, 1941 – January 6, 1947 | |
| Preceded by | George Tremain |
| Succeeded by | James Emmert |
Frank Nelson Richman(July 1, 1881 – April 29, 1956) was anAmericanlawyer,politician,andjudgewho served as a justice of theIndiana Supreme Courtfrom January 6, 1941, to January 6, 1947. Richman also participated as a judge in theNuremberg trials,as one of the judges of theFlick trial.
Biography
[edit]Early life and education
[edit]Richman was born inColumbus,Indiana,[1]to Silas Tevis Richman (1852–1938) and Elma Jane Richman (née Baker, 1857–1953). On his father's side, Frank Richman was descended fromGermanQuakers(laterMethodists) who settled originally inSalem County,New Jersey.Silas Richman, originally fromDecatur County,worked first as a schoolteacher and then as a medical doctor. On his mother's side, the Baker family were originally fromRowan County,North Carolinaand were also Methodists. Silas Richman met Elma Baker while he was teaching school inJamestown.They had two children; Frank and his older sister, Alice.[2][3]
At a young age, Frank Richman and his family moved toPrinceton,Kansas,where his father operated a general practice. In 1892, when Frank was eleven, the Richmans moved to theSouth SideofChicago,Illinois,where his father opened another general practice until his retirement in 1927. Frank Richman graduated fromEnglewood High Schoolat age 16.[3]
Frank Richman began his higher education atNorthwestern University(inEvanston, Illinois), originally planning to become a doctor like his father before discovering that he disliked working with cadavers. He then attendedLake Forest College(inLake Forest, Illinois), where he was a member of the school'sglee club,played for the college'sbaseballteam, worked as a chapelorganist,won prizes in composition anddebate,and also served as the editor-in-chief of the school newspaper, theStentor.Richman graduated from Lake Forest College in 1904 with anA.B.For two years, he worked as a newspaper reporter inRockford, IllinoisandLa Crosse,Wisconsin.In 1906, he began studying law at theUniversity of Chicago Law School,leaving the school in 1908 without obtaining aJuris Doctordegree. He moved his family back to the town where he was born, Columbus. He was admitted to theBartholomew Countybar and began practicing law at Baker & Richman (later Baker, Richman & Sharpnack) from 1908 to 1933. He finally got his law degree in 1940, taking his final classes at theIndiana University Maurer School of LawinBloomington.[2][3]
Judicial service and later life
[edit]Richman was a member of theIndiana State Bar Association,serving as the association's president from 1931 to 1932. During this time, Richman authored an influential article in theIndiana Law Journal,titled "A Majority of Electors Means a Majority of Those Voting on the Question." The article (in addition to abriefwritten by a committee of bar association members that Richman was a part of) led to an important ruling by the state Supreme Court decision, in the case ofIn re Todd,which overturned their 1870s ruling in the case ofState V. Swift,where the court had invalidated the results of areferendumregarding newamendmentsto thestate constitution.Richman's article also led to other important state Supreme Court rulings in the cases ofIn re DennyandIn re Boswell,and also led to the removal of section 21 of article 7 of the state constitution. The removal of this section allowed for the Indiana Supreme Court to regulate admission to the Indiana bar via the new state Board of Law Examiners (created in 1931 via legislation enacted by theGeneral Assembly), whose members were appointed by the Supreme Court.[3][4]
Richman, aRepublican,was elected to theIndiana Supreme Courtand began serving on the bench in 1941,[1]succeeding JusticeGeorge Tremain.Richman was known as amoderateat a time when theIndiana Republican Partywas becoming more conservative. At the Indiana Republican Party convention of 1946, Richman was purged from the party due to his dissent in the case ofState ex rel. v. Montgomery Circuit Court,which blockedGovernorRalph Gates's plans to reform statealcohol laws.He left the court in 1947, succeeded by JusticeJames Emmert.[2][3]
Starting in 1944, Richman began to teach part-time atIndiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law(inIndianapolis). After leaving the Supreme Court, Richman became a professor of law at the school, teachingprocedure,equity,andcorporate law,[2][3]until his retirement from that position in 1952.[1]
In 1947, following the end of theSecond World War,Richman traveled toNuremberg,Germanyto participate in theNuremberg trialsof members and supporters of theNazi regime.Richman served as a judge of Division IV of theAmerican Military Tribunal.[1][2][3]Richman was one of the judges assigned to theFlick trial,with the defendants being prominent Naziindustrialists.The trial took nine months and resulted in three of the industrialists being found guilty and the other three beingacquitted.[2][3]
Personal life and death
[edit]Richman was a member of theColumbia Clubin Indianapolis. He was a charter member and later President of theRotary Clubin Columbus. He was also a founder of both the Columbus Boys' Club and the Bartholomew County Historical Society. From 1922 to 1939, he was chairman of the Columbus chapter of theAmerican Red Cross.He chaired the IndianaJudicial Counciland was a member of the Bartholomew County Bar Association, theAmerican Bar Association,and theAmerican Judicature Society.He was also a member ofPhi Delta Phiand theOrder of the Coif.Richman's hobbies included fishing, traveling, and playinggolfandcontract bridge.[2][3]
In 1908, Richman married Edith Rogers. They married onChristmas EveinStudley, Kansas,on the sheep ranch owned by Edith's parents. They had four children, one son and three daughters. All four children attendedIndiana University.[3]
Richman died ofcolon cancerat his home in Indianapolis in 1956.[2][3][1]
References
[edit]- ^abcde"Frank N. Richman",The Columbus Republic(April 30, 1956), p. 4.
- ^abcdefghMinde C. Browning, Richard Humphrey, and Bruce Kleinschmidt, "Biographical Sketches of Indiana Supreme Court Justices",Indiana Law Review,Vol. 30, No. 1 (1997), section reproduced inIndiana Courts Justice Biographies page.
- ^abcdefghijkCoons, Philip M.""Sock it to me," "Here come de judge," and "And that's the truth." (Indiana Supreme Court Justice Frank N. Richman) "(PDF).Indianapolis Literary Club.
- ^Schwarz, J.C. (1937).Who's who in Law, Volume 1.p. 782.