James Rothrock | |
|---|---|
| Chief Justice of theIowa Supreme Court | |
| In office February 28, 1889 – 1891 | |
| Preceded by | Joseph Rea Reed |
| Justice of theIowa Supreme Court | |
| In office 1875–1896 | |
| Judicial District Judge | |
| In office 1866–1875 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1829-06-01)June 1, 1829 Milroy, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Died | January 14, 1899(1899-01-14) (aged 69) Cedar Rapids, Iowa, U.S. |
| Party | Republican |
| Military service | |
| Branch/service | Union Army |
| Years of service | 1861 |
| Rank | Colonel |
| Unit | 35th Iowa Infantry Regiment |
| Battles/wars | |
James Harvey Rothrock (June 1, 1829 – January 14, 1899) was an American judge and politician.
A native ofMilroy, Pennsylvania, born on June 1, 1829, he and his family moved to Ohio in 1838, where they farmed. As a child, Rothrock only attended school during the winters. When he turned eighteen, he enrolled in school atNew Richmond, and was later accepted toFranklin University. When university classes were not in session, Rothrock worked as a schoolteacher.
In 1852, he left Franklin, opting to read law inWest Union. Two years later, Rothrock passed theColumbus bar. He served a single term as prosecutor forHighland County before moving to Iowa in 1860.[1][2]
Rothrock settled inTipton, Iowa, in 1860. By the fall of 1861, he had been elected to theIowa House of Representatives. He served as aRepublican legislator forDistrict 33. AfterRush Clark vacated the speakership for health reasons, Rothrock was elected speaker pro-term. Upon completing his only term as a state representative,Samuel J. Kirkwood offered Rothrock the rank of colonel in the35th Iowa Infantry Regiment. He refused the rank, but did serve with the regiment during theSiege of Vicksburg. Rothrock caught typhoid fever during the engagement, and after recovering, returned to the practice of law in Iowa alongside W. P. Wolf.
Rothrock was appointed to the eighth district court judgeship in 1866 and succeeded byJohn Shane upon his elevation as a justice of theIowa Supreme Court from February 24, 1876, to December 31, 1896, appointed fromCedar County, Iowa. Rothrock refused a nomination for a second term on the Iowa Supreme Court. He died on January 14, 1899.[1][2]
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Justice of the Iowa Supreme Court 1876–1896 | Succeeded by |
 | This article about a member of the Iowa House of Representatives is astub. You can help Wikipedia byadding missing information. |
 | This biography of a state judge in Iowa is astub. You can help Wikipedia byadding missing information. |