Francis S. Wilson
Justice of the Illinois Supreme Court
In office
1935–1951
Preceded byFrederic R. DeYoung
Judge of the Illinois Appellate Court, First District
In office
1920–1935
Personal details
Born(1872-02-07)February 7, 1872
Youngstown, Ohio
DiedMarch 14, 1951(1951-03-14) (aged 79)
Springfield, Illinois
Political partyDemocratic
SpouseCaroline Elizabeth Siegfried
Alma materAdelbert College of Western Reserve (B.A.)
Western Reserve School of Law (J.D.)

Francis Servis Wilson (February 7, 1872 – March 14, 1951) was an American jurist.

Born in Youngstown, Ohio, Wilson attended Youngstown Public Schools for his early childhood education, prior to attending Western Reserve Academy prep school in Hudson, Ohio, graduating in 1890. Wilson's undergraduate was at Adelbert College of Western Reserve, known today as Case Western Reserve University, in Cleveland, Ohio, where he was a star college football player on several Western Reserve teams.[1][2] In early college football circles, he primarily went by Tug Wilson. He was also a member of Delta Kappa Epsilon.[3] As part of the schools first graduating class, Wilson graduated from Western Reserve School of Law in 1895, being admitted to the Ohio bar shortly after in 1896. Wilson moved to Chicago, Illinois in 1897 where he practiced law. Wilson also worked as a county attorney for Cook County, Illinois. Wilson married Caroline Elizabeth Siegfried on November 18, 1903.

During World War I, Wilson served in the United States Army in the judge advocate general's department with the rank of major, including at Camp Sherman.[4] In 1920, Wilson served in the Illinois circuit court and later on the Illinois Appellate Court.[4][5]

Wilson was a Democrat, and successfully ran under his party's nomination in the July 1, 1935 special election to fill the seventh district seat on the Supreme Court of Illinois left vacant after the death in office of Frederic R. DeYoung. He was nominated at the Democratic Party judicial nomination convention held at Chicago's Morrison Hotel on May 12, 1935 at which the party also selected candidates for other coinciding Cook County judicial elections.[6] Days later, his Republican opponent William V. Brothers withdrew from the race weeks later and De Young was left unopposed in the election.[7] Brothers had been a compromise candidate nominated by his party without having himself sought to be nominated and who did desire to run.[6] Ultimately, the Democratic and Republican Party's agreed on a bipartisan unity slate of candidates in the July 1, 1935 Cook County judicial elections making all of the races effectively uncontested, and forgoing the nomination of a replacement Republican candidate in the Supreme Court special election. Without an opponent on the ballot, Wilson was elected to the vacant judgeship by default.[8]

Wilson served on the Illinois Supreme Court from 1935 until his death in 1951. He was the chief justice in 1939. Wilson died in Springfield, Illinois.[4][5]

References

  1. ↑ "The Reserve Weekly 19 November 1935 — Case Western Reserve University". newspapers.case.edu.
  2. ↑ "The Adelbert 1 January 1892 — Case Western Reserve University". newspapers.case.edu.
  3. ↑ Crossley, Frederic Beers; MacChesney, Nathan William; Follansbee, Mitchell Davis; Voigt, John Frederick (September 1, 1916). "Courts and Lawyers of Illinois". American Historical Society – via Google Books.
  4. 1 2 3 "Francis S. Wilson - Previous Illinois Supreme Court Justice". www.illinoiscourts.gov.
  5. 1 2 'Justice Wilson Dies; Senior of Supreme Court,' Chicago Tribune, March 15, 1951, part 3, pg. 2
  6. 1 2 "F.S. Wilson vs. W.V. Brothers in High Court Race". Newspapers.com. Chicago Tribune. May 12, 1935. Retrieved 28 August 2022.
  7. ↑ "Republicans in Court Contest Get off Ballot". Newspapers.com. The Rock Island Argus. The Associated Press. May 21, 1935. Retrieved 28 August 2022.
  8. ↑ "Cook County's Judicial Election Mere Formality". Freeport Journal-Standard. The Associated Press. July 1, 1935. Retrieved 28 August 2022 – via Newspapers.com.


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