List of first minority male lawyers and judges in Ohio explained

This is a list of the first minority male lawyer(s) and judge(s) in Ohio. It includes the year in which the men were admitted to practice law (in parentheses). Also included are men who achieved other distinctions such becoming the first in their state to graduate from law school or become a political figure.

Firsts in Ohio's history

Lawyers

• First Native American male:^[1] James McDonald (1823)^[2]
• First African American male: John Mercer Langston (1854)^[3]
• First Somali-born male: Ismail Mohamad (2017)^[4]

State judges

• First African American: Perry B. Jackson (1922) in 1942^{[5] [6]}
• First Jewish American male (Supreme Court of Ohio): Gilbert Bettman (c. 1942)^[7]
• First African American male (common pleas): Charles W. White in 1955^[8]
• First African American male elected (common pleas): Robert V. Franklin, Jr. in 1968^[9]
• First African American male (Ohio Supreme Court): Robert Morton Duncan (1952) in 1969^[10]
• First Latino American male (reputed): Joseph Flores (1964) in 1981^{[11] [12] [13]}
• First Jewish American male (Chief Justice; Ohio Supreme Court): Eric Brown (1979) from 2010-2011^{[14] [15]}

Federal judges

• First African American male (U.S. Court of Military Appeals): Robert Morton Duncan (1952) in 1971
• First Greek American male (United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio): Thomas Demetrios Lambros in 1967^[16]
• First African American male (U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio): George Washington White (1955) in 1980^[17]
• First African American male (Judge and Chief Judge: U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Ohio): Randolph Baxter in 1985 and 2004^[18]
• First Greek American male (Chief Judge; United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio): Thomas Demetrios Lambros in 1990
• First African American male (Chief Judge; U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio): George Washington White (1955) in 1995

• First Jewish American male: Gilbert Bettman in 1928^[19]

Assistant U.S. Attorney

• First African American male (Northern District of Ohio): Nathaniel R. Jones (1957) in 1962^[20]

• First Jewish American male president: Simeon M. Johnson in 1912^[21]
• First African American male president: John A. Howard from 1981-1982^[22]

Firsts in local history

• Athornia Steele:^[23] First African American male to serve as the Dean of Capital University Law School (2003) [<nowiki/>[[Delaware County, Ohio|Delaware]], Fairfield, and Franklin Counties, Ohio]
• Andrew Jackson Davison:^[24] First African American male lawyer in Athens County, Ohio
• Vincent Zottarelli and Benjamin D. Nicola:^{[25] [26]} First Italian American male lawyers in Cleveland, Ohio [<nowiki/>[[Cuyahoga County, Ohio]]]
• Frank D. Celebrezze:^[27] First Italian American male judge in Cleveland, Ohio (1937) [<nowiki/>[[Cuyahoga County, Ohio]]]
• Pablo Castro:^[28] First Hispanic American male magistrate of the Cleveland Municipal Court (2007)
• John Francis:^[29] First African American male to serve as the City Attorney for Columbus, Ohio (c. 1977)
• Robert Morton Duncan (1952):^[30] First African American male elected to serve in a judicial office in Franklin County, Ohio
• William L. Mallory (1986):^[31] First African American male to serve as a Judge of the Hamilton County First District Court of Appeals of Ohio
• John A. Howard:^[32] First African American male elected as a judge in Lorain County (Elyria Municipal Court 1984 to 1999) after serving as the first African American President of the Ohio State Bar Association (1981-1982).
• Gustalo Nunez:^[33] First Hispanic American male judge in Lorain County, Ohio
• Robert V. Franklin, Jr.:^[34] First African American male to serve as a Judge of the Toledo Municipal Court (1960) and later the Lucas County Common Pleas Court (1968)
• Charlie Hider:^[35] First Arab American male lawyer in Toledo, Lucas County, Ohio
• Robert A. Pinn (1879):^{[36] [37]} First African American lawyer in Massillon County, Ohio and Stark County, Ohio^[38]
• Moses H. Jones:^{[39] [40]} First African American male lawyer in Dayton, Montgomery County, Ohio
• Russell L. Carter:^[41] First African American male judge in Dayton, Montgomery County, Ohio (1996)
• Arthur Fisher:^[42] First African American male elected as a Judge of the Common Pleas Court (Domestic Relations) in Montgomery County, Ohio
• Gerald Parker: First African American male to serve as a Judge of the Montgomery County Common Pleas Court General Division, Ohio
• Jeff Payton:^[43] First African American male judge in Richland County, Ohio
• Robert A. Pinn (1879): First African American lawyer in Massillon County, Ohio and Stark County, Ohio
• Clay E. Hunter:^[44] First African American male judge in Stark County, Ohio (upon his appointment to the Canton Municipal Court in 1962)
• Kyle L. Stone (2021):^[45] First African-American elected prosecutor in Stark County, Ohio
• Joseph D. Roulhac:^[46] First African American male judge in Akron, Ohio (Summit County, Ohio; 1967). He was also the first African American Assistant Summit County Prosecutor.
• Isaac C. Hunt, Jr:^[47] First African American male to serve as the Dean of University of Akron School of Law (1987)

See also

• List of first minority male lawyers and judges in the United States

Other topics of interest

• List of first women lawyers and judges in the United States
• List of first women lawyers and judges in Ohio

Notes and References

1. Book: Dennis . Yvonne Wakim . Indigenous Firsts: A History of Native American Achievements and Events . Hirschfelder . Arlene . Molin . Paulette F. . 2022-10-25 . Visible Ink Press . 978-1-57859-806-9 . en.
2. McDonald, the first Native American male lawyer in the United States, completed his legal training in Ohio in 1823. He eventually returned to his home state of Mississippi due to the lack of legal opportunities in Ohio.
3. Web site: John Mercer Langston. www.oberlin.edu. 2016-10-08.
4. Web site: Siegel . Jim . Somali refugee passes bar, runs for Ohio House . 2022-03-23 . The Columbus Dispatch . en-US.
5. Book: Smith, Jessie Carney. Black Firsts: 4,000 Ground-Breaking and Pioneering Historical Events. 2012-12-01. Visible Ink Press. 9781578594252.
6. Web site: Jackson, Perry B.. Case Western Reserve University. 2018-01-29.
7. Book: Landman . Isaac . The Universal Jewish Encyclopedia ...: An Authoritative and Popular Presentation of Jews and Judaism Since the Earliest Times . Cohen . Simon . 1942 . Universal Jewish Encyclopedia, Incorporated . en.
8. Web site: WHITE, CHARLES W.. 2019-09-04. Encyclopedia of Cleveland History Case Western Reserve University. en. 2020-02-17.
9. Web site: Robert V. Franklin, Jr., 1926-2011. Toledo Blade. en. 2020-02-14.
10. Web site: Robert Morton Duncan . 2018-01-29 . www.supremecourt.ohio.gov.
11. Web site: Congressional Record. www.congress.gov. 2018-01-13.
12. Web site: Toledo Blade - Google News Archive Search. news.google.com. 2018-01-13.
13. News: Judge was revered member of Hispanic community. 2003-10-18. The Blade. 2018-01-13.
14. Web site: Eric Brown. www.sconet.state.oh.us. 2019-01-17.
15. Web site: Brown, O'Connor vie for Supreme Court chief justice. KARFELD. MARILYN H.. Cleveland Jewish News. 8 October 2010 . en. 2019-01-17.
16. Web site: February 17, 2021 . THOMAS LAMBROS - Greek-American judge is honored by his peers . 2022-05-05 . www.ellines.com.
17. News: George W. White led U.S. District Court: news obituary . cleveland.com . 2018-01-18.
18. Web site: KARABIN . SHERRY . September 22, 2023 . Ret. U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Randolph Baxter remembered . 2024-02-05 . www.akronlegalnews.com.
19. Web site: Writer . Staff . The next big thing? . 2024-05-16 . Columbus Monthly . en-US.
20. Book: Congressional Record, V. 147, Pt. 15, October 25, 2001 to November 7, 2001. 2006. Government Printing Office. 9780160754241.
21. Book: The Reform Advocate . 1912 . en.
22. Web site: SAYING GOODBYE. June 20, 2002. newspaperarchive.com. en. 2019-01-05.
23. Web site: Our History - Capital University Law School . 2022-03-15 . law.capital.edu.
24. Web site: In series, students shine light on Athens' first black attorney. Walker. William. The Athens NEWS. 29 January 2020 . en. 2020-03-05.
25. Book: Neff, William B. . Bench and Bar of Northern Ohio . 1921 . Historical publishing Company . en.
26. Book: Price, Mark J. . Mafia Cop Killers in Akron: The Gang War before Prohibition . 2017-11-27 . Arcadia Publishing . 978-1-4396-6382-0 . en.
27. Web site: Italian Americans . 2022-03-07 . www.clevelandmemory.org.
28. Web site: February 21, 2022 . 3 inducted into Otsego's Hall of Fame . 2024-04-15 . infoweb.newsbank.com.
29. Web site: John Francis and Bill Thornton . 2022-03-15 . digital-collections.columbuslibrary.org . en.
30. Web site: Robert Duncan, First Black Justice on the Ohio Supreme Court, Dies at 85 . 2022-03-15 . www.courtnewsohio.gov.
31. Web site: Municipal Court Judge William Mallory Hamilton County Courts. en-US. 2019-01-15.
32. Web site: Howard . Judge John A. . Judge John Howard dies at age 78 . The Morning Journal. 13 June 2002.
33. Web site: Lorain County's first Hispanic judge remembered for 'making good' . 2022-08-26 . chroniclet.com . en.
34. Web site: Robert V. Franklin, Jr., 1926-2011. Toledo Blade. en. 2020-02-14.
35. Web site: Hiel . Betsy . March 26, 2000 . Little Syria thrives in Toledo as the world heads toward war . 2024-06-01 . The Blade . en.
36. News: Today in Black History, 3/1/2013. WebAlive. 2017-09-23.
37. News: Black History Month: Honoring Massillon notables. Knapp. Amy L.. The Independent. 2018-02-13.
38. News: Black History: Underground Railroad & Anti-Slavery. Massillon Museum. 2017-10-26.
39. Web site: The Dayton Foundation: Black History Month: 5 Innovative Figures of the African-American Community Fund. www.daytonfoundation.org. 2018-02-13.
40. Web site: About AACF – African-American Community Fund (AACF). aacfdayton.org. 2018-02-13.
41. News: . David . Mendell . OBITUARY CITY'S FIRST BLACK JUDGE DIES * RUSSELL L. CARTER, 77, WAS A CIVIL RIGHTS ATTORNEY WHO PRACTICED LAW FOR MORE THAN 50 YEARS . Dayton Daily News . 15 August 1996 . 1.B .
42. Web site: Two Miami Valley men make history as the first African Americans in their positions. Moore. Rhonda. 2019-01-15. WRGT. 2019-01-18.
43. Web site: Payton, Richland County's first African-American judge, served on the bench for 22 years. His replacement is white, but said he has a strong history working with many diverse individuals.. January 7, 2010. News-Journal. en. 2020-03-12.
44. Book: Canton, Ohio, Attorney Named Municipal Judge. 1962-03-15. Jet Magazine. en.
45. Book: Ohio's Only Black Elected Prosecutor Prepares To Take Office In Stark County. 28 December 2020. 2021-04-26.
46. News: First black judge in Akron served on bench for 20 years. bjstaff. www.ohio.com. 2018-01-12.
47. Pernell . LeRoy . 2007 . Reflecting on the Dream of the Marathon Man: Black Dean Longevity and Its Impact on Opportunity and Diversity . University of Toledo Law Review . 38.