Honorable Henry E. Ackerson Jr. | |
|---|---|
| Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of New Jersey | |
| In office 1948–1952 | |
| Appointed by | Alfred E. Driscoll |
| Preceded by | Office created |
| Succeeded by | William J. Brennan Jr. |
| New Jersey Court of Errors and Appeals | |
| In office 1924–1947 | |
| Succeeded by | Office eliminated |
| Member of the New Jersey Senate from the 13th district | |
| In office 1915–1919 | |
| Preceded by | John W. Slocum |
| Succeeded by | William A. Stevens |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Henry Elijah Ackerson Jr. October 15, 1880 Holmdel Township, New Jersey |
| Died | December 9, 1970 (aged 90) Holmdel Township, New Jersey |
| Resting place | Holmdel Cemetery |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse |
Edith D. Calef
(m. 1912; died 1969) |
| Children | 2 |
| Parent | Cornelius & Anna B. (Stillwell) |
| Residence | Keyport, New Jersey |
| Alma mater | New York Law School |
| Occupation | Bank clerk, lawyer, bank director |
| Committees | Rutgers, the State University - trustee |
| Membership | American Bar Association Royal Arcanum |
Henry Elijah Ackerson Jr. (October 15, 1880 – December 9, 1970) was a State Senator from 1915 to 1919,[1] a New Jersey circuit judge from 1924 to 1947,[2] and an associate justice of the New Jersey Supreme Court from 1948 to 1952.[3]
Ackerson was born in Keyport on a small dairy farm in Holmdel Township, New Jersey to Cornelius and Anna B (Stillwell) Ackerson.[4] He was purported to be the namesake of his paternal grandfather. Sometime in the early 1890s, the family moved to Raritan (now Keyport), where Henry graduated from Raritan High School. By 1900, Henry was working at a local bank while attending New York Law School from 1902 until 1904 when he passed the bar in New Jersey.[3]
Ackerson resided locally until retiring in the 1950s and eventually moving into a nursing home in Holmdel where he died in 1970. He is interred at Holmdel Cemetery. The Justice Henry E. Ackerson Jr. Prize and Ackerson Hall, the home of Rutgers School of Law – Newark from 1966 to 1978 and still an academic building at Rutgers University—Newark, are named in his honour.[5]
Justice Henry E. Ackerson Jr. Prize. Awarded to the student who has most distinguished himself or herself in the area of legal skills. It was donated by Justice Ackerson and, since his death in 1970, has been continued by the Rutgers–Newark Law School Alumni Association in recognition of his unique contribution to the school.