William H. Dieterich (judge)
William Herbert Dieterich (December 18, 1897 – July 23, 1964) was an attorney and jurist from Wisconsin. He was a justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court from 1959 until his death in 1964.[1]
The Honorable William H. Dieterich | |
|---|---|
| Justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court | |
| In office January 1, 1959 – July 23, 1964 | |
| Preceded by | Emmert L. Wingert |
| Succeeded by | Nathan Heffernan |
| Personal details | |
| Born | William Herbert Dieterich December 18, 1897 Milwaukee, Wisconsin |
| Died | July 23, 1964 (aged 66) Milwaukee, Wisconsin |
| Resting place | Pleasant Hill Cemetery Hartford, Wisconsin |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse(s) |
|
| Children |
|
| Mother | Martha (Wolf) Dieterich |
| Father | William V. Dieterich |
| Alma mater | |
| Profession | lawyer, judge |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch/service |  United States Army |
| Years of service | 1917–1919 |
| Unit | 120th Field Artillery |
| Battles/wars | World War I |
Early life
He was born at his father's farm in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin.[2] He enlisted in the Wisconsin National Guard in 1917 during World War I. He helped found the American Legion.[2]
After the war was over, he went to college at the University of Wisconsin–Madison and the University of Montana and later to law school at Marquette University Law School.[1] He passed his bar exam in 1923 to become a lawyer.
Career
He served as a trial attorney in Milwaukee and Washington Counties for 36 years.[1] He lost several elections for Wisconsin's Attorney General and Wisconsin Supreme Court.[2]
Dieterich was first elected to the Wisconsin Supreme Court in 1958, when he defeated Emmert L. Wingert in 1958 to become a Justice.[2] In 1961, he convinced the Wisconsin Legislature to employ law clerks for the Supreme Court.[2]
Personal life
He had a son William H. Dieterich III with his wife Kathryn Block.[2] Dieterich died on July 23, 1964.
Electoral history
Wisconsin Attorney General (1948)
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Primary Election, September 21, 1948 | |||||
| Republican | Donald J. Martin | 154,128 | 36.75% | ||
| Republican | William H. Dieterich | 104,187 | 24.84% | ||
| Democratic | Thomas E. Fairchild | 97,435 | 23.23% | ||
| Republican | Frank X. Didier | 27,316 | 6.51% | ||
| Republican | Grover L. Broadfoot (incumbent) | 26,572 | 6.34% | ||
| Progressive | Michael Essin | 6,180 | 1.47% | ||
| Socialist | Anna Mae Davis | 3,606 | 0.86% | ||
| Total votes | '419,424' | '100.0%' | |||
| General Election, November 2, 1948 | |||||
| Democratic | Thomas E. Fairchild | 622,312 | 50.67% | +21.96% | |
| Republican | Donald J. Martin | 583,298 | 47.49% | -22.47% | |
| Progressive | Michael Essin | 11,908 | 0.97% | ||
| Socialist | Anna Mae Davis | 10,641 | 0.87% | -0.46% | |
| Total votes | '1,228,159' | '100.0%' | +25.88% | ||
| Democratic gain from Republican | |||||
Wisconsin Supreme Court (1956, 1958)
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Primary Election, March 6, 1956 | |||||
| Independent | Thomas E. Fairchild | 250,442 | 71.77% | ||
| Independent | William H. Dieterich | 68,288 | 19.57% | ||
| Independent | Clair L. Finch | 30,244 | 8.67% | ||
| Total votes | '348,974' | '100.0%' | |||
| General Election, April 3, 1956 | |||||
| Independent | Thomas E. Fairchild | 574,429 | 77.59% | ||
| Independent | William H. Dieterich | 165,953 | 22.41% | ||
| Total votes | '740,382' | '100.0%' | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Election, April 1, 1958 | |||||
| Independent | William H. Dieterich | 232,955 | 52.43% | +30.02% | |
| Independent | Emmert L. Wingert (incumbent) | 211,319 | 47.57% | ||
| Total votes | '444,274' | '100.0%' | -41.32% | ||
Notes
- William Dietrich, Wisconsin Historical Society
- Wisconsin Court System
- Ohm, Howard F.; Kuehn, Hazel L., eds. (1950). "Parties and elections". The Wisconsin Blue Book, 1950 (Report). pp. 651, 753. Retrieved November 23, 2019.
- Toepel, M.G.; Kuehn, Hazel L., eds. (1958). "Parties and elections: the judicial and nonpartisan elections". The Wisconsin Blue Book, 1958 (Report). State of Wisconsin. pp. 780–781. Retrieved November 23, 2019.
- Toepel, M.G.; Kuehn, Hazel L., eds. (1960). "Wisconsin state party platforms and elections". The Wisconsin Blue Book, 1960 (Report). State of Wisconsin. p. 701. Retrieved November 23, 2019.