Joshua E. Dodge | |
|---|---|
 Portrait from theWisconsin Historical Society | |
| Justice of theWisconsin Supreme Court | |
| In office November 22, 1898 – September 1, 1910 | |
| Appointed by | Edward Scofield |
| Preceded by | Silas U. Pinney |
| Succeeded by | Aad J. Vinje |
| Member of theWisconsin State Assembly from theRacine district | |
| In office January 5, 1891 – January 2, 1893 | |
| Preceded by | Alfred L. Buchan |
| Succeeded by | Peter Nelson(1st dist.) Francis Reuschlein(2nd dist.) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1854-10-25)October 25, 1854 Arlington, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Died | May 2, 1921(1921-05-02) (aged 66) |
| Party | Democratic |
| Alma mater | Grinnell College (B.A.) Boston University Law School (LL.B.) |
| Profession | Lawyer, judge |
Joshua Eric Dodge (October 25, 1854 – May 2, 1921) was an American lawyer, politician, and judge from theU.S. state ofWisconsin. He was a justice of theWisconsin Supreme Court for 12 years (1898–1910). Earlier, he served as aUnited States Assistant Attorney General in the administration of PresidentGrover Cleveland, and was a member of theWisconsin State Assembly, representingRacine County in the 1891 session.[1]
Joshua Dodge was inArlington, Massachusetts, in October 1854.[2] He was raised and educated there, attending theWestford Academy, inWestford, Massachusetts, and then attendingIowa College, inGrinnell, Iowa. He graduated in 1875, then went on to study at theBoston University School of Law, graduating in 1877.[3][4]
He was admitted to the bar in Boston, but moved toWisconsin the following spring, settling inRacine, Wisconsin, in March 1878. He practiced law there for over a decade, and was involved in local politics with theDemocratic Party. In 1890, he was elected to theWisconsin State Assembly, running on the Democratic Party ticket.[5]
Following his term in the Legislature, he was appointed to the national Board of Commissioners for the Promotion of Uniformity of Legislation in the United States.[3][4] The following Summer, U.S. PresidentGrover Cleveland appointed himUnited States Assistant Attorney General. He was confirmed in the Fall and served through the rest of the Cleveland administration, resigning in 1897 after his successor was confirmed.[6]
In January 1898, he opened a new law office inMilwaukee in partnership with another young Racine lawyer, Samuel Field. The practice lasted only a short time, however, as Dodge was appointed to theWisconsin Supreme Court in the Fall of 1898 by GovernorEdward Scofield. Dodge replacedSilas U. Pinney, who was resigning due to poor health.[7] Dodge was elected to finish Pinney's judicial term in the Spring 1899 election, and was subsequently elected to another ten-year term in April 1901. Dodge did not face an opponent in either election.[8][9]
Dodge retired in the Fall of 1910, with a year left on his term.[10] He died at his home in Milwaukee on May 2, 1921, after a long illness.[2] Dodge never married and had no children.[2]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Election, November 4, 1890 | |||||
| Democratic | Joshua E. Dodge | 3,500 | 49.50% | +5.34% | |
| Republican | Elias N. White | 2,763 | 39.08% | −11.22% | |
| Labor | A. B. Hayes | 459 | 6.49% | ||
| Prohibition | J. S. Blakie | 348 | 4.92% | −0.62% | |
| Plurality | 737 | 10.42% | +4.28% | ||
| Total votes | 7,070 | 100.0% | -11.40% | ||
| Democraticgain fromRepublican | |||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Election, April 4, 1899 | |||||
| Nonpartisan | Joshua E. Dodge (incumbent) | 103,372 | 99.06% | ||
| Scattering | 982 | 0.94% | |||
| Total votes | 104,354 | 100.0% | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Election, April 2, 1901 | |||||
| Nonpartisan | Joshua E. Dodge (incumbent) | 130,161 | 99.06% | ||
| Scattering | 3,651 | 2.73% | |||
| Total votes | 133,812 | 100.0% | |||
| Wisconsin State Assembly | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of theWisconsin State Assemblyfrom theRacine district January 5, 1891 – January 2, 1893 | Succeeded by |
| Legal offices | ||
| Preceded by | Justice of theWisconsin Supreme Court November 22, 1898 – September 10, 1910 | Succeeded by |