Ralph J. Anderson

Ralph Justin Anderson (October 17, 1888 – August 8, 1962)[1] was a justice of the Montana Supreme Court from 1933 to 1938.

Born in Kinderhook, Illinois, Anderson received his law degree from the University of Colorado in 1912, and later that year moved to Lewistown, Montana. Anderson was elected to the Montana House of Representatives for Fergus County, Montana, in 1914, and in 1917 was appointed deputy County Attorney for Fergus County.

During World War I, he was called to duty in the United States Army on June 30, 1918, and was sent to Vancouver Barracks, Washington.[2][3] He was in the 25th Company Casual Detachment Signal C for about 5 weeks, the 15th Company Casual Detachment Spruce Production Division for 1 month, and the 144th Spruce Squadron in Joyce, Washington until his discharge as a private in January 1919.[3] During this time, he served in the Aviation Section of the Army Signal Corps.[4]

He was elected to the Montana Supreme Court in November 1932 and served until the end of 1938. He is credited with being the only attorney in the state to have argued four cases in one day before the Montana Supreme Court. He became a member of the State Board of Law Examiners in 1943 and was chair of that body from 1951 to 1962.[1]

On February 24, 1919, he married Lauretta Kelly, they had no children. Anderson died August 8, 1962, in Helena, Montana, at the age of 73 and is buried at Resurrection Cemetery in Helena.[1]

  1. ^ a b c "Biographies and Histories of Montana's Justices, Judges, and Courts, 1865-2020" (PDF). State Law Library of Montana. 2020. p. 10. This work in is in the public domain, reproduction and non-commercial distribution of this work are permitted with attribution.
  2. ^ "Attorney Enters Service", The Butte Miner, Butte, Montana, volume LV, number 269, June 22, 1918, page 2. (subscription required)
  3. ^ a b Form No. 724-1½, A.G.O. for Anderson, Ralph J, Army serial number 3,415,887, available in the "Montana, U.S., Military Records, 1904-1918" collection on Ancestry.com.
  4. ^ "Ralph J. Anderson, Former High Court Judge, Dies", The Independent Record, Helena, Montana, volume XIX, number 259, page 1. (obituary) (subscription required)