The Honorable Horace W. Wilkie | |
|---|---|
| 21st Chief Justice of theWisconsin Supreme Court | |
| In office August 1, 1974 – May 23, 1976 | |
| Preceded by | E. Harold Hallows |
| Succeeded by | Bruce F. Beilfuss |
| Justice of theWisconsin Supreme Court | |
| In office June 5, 1962 – May 23, 1976 | |
| Appointed by | Gaylord Nelson |
| Preceded by | Grover L. Broadfoot |
| Succeeded by | Shirley Abrahamson |
| Member of theWisconsin Senate from the26th district | |
| In office January 7, 1957 – June 5, 1962 | |
| Preceded by | Gaylord Nelson |
| Succeeded by | Fred A. Risser |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1917-01-09)January 9, 1917 Madison, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| Died | May 23, 1976(1976-05-23) (aged 59) Pittsburgh,Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Heart attack |
| Resting place | Roselawn Memorial Park,Monona, Wisconsin |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Marian Cora Beardsley(died 1998) |
| Children | 5 daughters |
| Alma mater | |
| Profession | lawyer, judge |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch/service |  United States Coast Guard |
Horace White Wilkie (January 9, 1917 – May 23, 1976) was anAmerican attorney, judge, andDemocratic politician from theU.S. state ofWisconsin. He was the 21st Chief Justice of theWisconsin Supreme Court (1974–1976) and served a total of 14 years on the court (1962–1976). Before being appointed to the Court, he served five years in theWisconsin State Senate, representingMadison, Wisconsin.
Born inMadison, Wisconsin,[1] Wilkie graduated from what is now theUniversity of Wisconsin–Madison and received his law degree fromGeorge Washington University. DuringWorld War II, Wilkie served in theUnited States Coast Guard. After the war, he helped revive theDemocratic Party of Wisconsin with other young liberals and former members of theWisconsin Progressive Party in what was known as the Democratic Organizing Committee.[2] He ran for Congress three times in1948,1950, and1952. In 1956, Wilkie was elected to theWisconsin State Senate.[2] In 1962, he was appointed to theWisconsin Supreme Court. He was elected to full terms on the court in1964 and1974. He became chief justice of the court in 1974, serving until his death.[2][3][4] Wilkie died of a heart attack inPittsburgh,Pennsylvania, in 1976.[1]
An odd coincidence of Justice Wilkie's career is that his successors in the Wisconsin State Senate and Wisconsin Supreme Court both became the longest-serving members of those respective bodies.Fred A. Risser, who succeeded him in the Senate, served from 1962 through 2021.[5]Shirley Abrahamson, who succeeded him on the Wisconsin Supreme Court, served from 1976 through 2019.[6] She died on December 19, 2020, in Berkeley, California.
| Wisconsin Senate | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of theWisconsin Senatefrom the26th district January 7, 1957 – June 5, 1962 | Succeeded by |
| Legal offices | ||
| Preceded by | Justice of theWisconsin Supreme Court June 5, 1962 – May 23, 1976 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Chief Justice of theWisconsin Supreme Court September 11, 1974 – May 23, 1976 | Succeeded by |
| Territory(1836–1848) |  | |
|---|---|---|
| First state supreme court(1848–1853) | ||
| Formal state supreme court(since 1853) | ||
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