George B. Nelson Explained

George B. Nelson
Office:Justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court
Appointer:Walter J. Kohler Sr.
Term Start:September 30, 1930
Term End:December 11, 1942
Predecessor:E. Ray Stevens
Successor:Elmer E. Barlow
Office1:District Attorney of Portage County, Wisconsin
Term Start1:January 1, 1907
Term End1:January 1, 1913
Predecessor1:G. M. Dahl
Successor1:D. S. Sickelsteel
Party:Republican
Birth Date:21 May 1876
Birth Place:Amherst, Wisconsin, U.S.
Death Place:Madison, Wisconsin, U.S.
Restingplace:Forest Cemetery,
Relatives:Reginald Heber Weller (father-in-law)
Profession:Lawyer

George Bliss Nelson (May 21, 1876January 10, 1943)[1] was an American lawyer from Portage County, Wisconsin. He was a justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court from 1930 through 1942. He earlier served as district attorney of Portage County.

Biography

Nelson was born George Bliss Nelson on May 21, 1876, in Amherst, Wisconsin.[2] He attended the University of Wisconsin–Madison and George Washington University Law School and became a member of the Order of the Coif. After law school, he returned to Stevens Point, Wisconsin, where he was a partner for several years in the law firm Cate, Dahl, and Nelson.

Public service

Nelson was District Attorney of Portage County, Wisconsin, from 1906 to 1913. Previously, he was City Attorney of Stevens Point, Wisconsin. Additionally, he was a delegate to the 1908 Republican National Convention. Nelson was appointed to the Supreme Court by Governor Walter J. Kohler, Sr., in 1930. He was elected to a full term on the court in 1935, and served until 1942, when his health began to fail. He sent his formal resignation to the Governor in December 1942, and died a month later, on January 10, 1943.[3]

Personal life and family

Nelson was deeply religious and active in the Episcopal Church. He married Ruth Weller in 1912. Ruth was a daughter of the Episcopal bishop Reginald Heber Weller. George and Ruth Nelson had four children.[4]

Notes and References

  1. Book: Denslow, William R. . 10,000 Famous Freemasons . 1957 . Missouri Lodge of Research . Columbia, Missouri, USA. (digital document by phoenixmasonry: vol. 1, 2, 3, 4)
  2. Web site: George Bliss Nelson. Political Graveyard. 2011-11-01.
  3. News: Here's Nelson's Letter Resigning as Justice . . December 12, 1942 . 1 . December 23, 2022 . .
  4. Web site: George B. Nelson. Wisconsin Court System. 2011-11-01.