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Joel B. Brown

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Joel Bascom Brown (May 18, 1872 – April 13, 1953)[1] was a justice of the Supreme Court of Alabama from 1920 to 1921, and again from 1927 to 1953.

Biography

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Born near Somerville, Alabama,[2][3] Brown "attended the common schools" of his county,[4] and graduated from Hartselle College in 1889.[5] He read law to gain admission to the bar in Cullman County in 1892.[4][5]

In 1914, he ran for a seat on the state court of appeals,[4] to which he was elected, being sworn into office in November of that year.[6][7] In 1919, he was elected to a seat on the state supreme court vacated by the resignation of Justice James J. Mayfield.[8]

In 1921, Benjamin M. Miller succeeded Brown, but "Brown returned to the Court in 1927, succeeding Justice Miller".[8]

Brown's second stint on the court lasted for 26 years, until his death on April 12, 1953. Brown was then succeeded on the court by the appointment of Preston C. Clayton.[8]

Personal life and death

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In 1898, Brown married Minnie Heidelberg of Cullman,[3] who had come there from her home state of California.[7] She died in 1939, and in 1941, he married Rebecca Knight Odum, daughter of associate justice Thomas E. Knight.[1][5]

Brown died at the age of 81 in a hospital in Montgomery, where he had been taken following a heart attack.[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b c "Heart Attack Proves Fatal To Justice Joel B. Brown", Alabama Journal (April 13, 1953), p. 1.
  2. ^ BROWN, Joel Bascom in Who's Who in America (1926 edition); p. 354
  3. ^ a b "Prominent Professional Men of Cullman", The Cullman Tribune (January 1, 1914), p. 7.
  4. ^ a b c "Col. J. B. Brown", The Cullman Tribune (February 12, 1914), p. 4.
  5. ^ a b c "Joel Bascom Brown" (PDF). Judiciary of Alabama. Retrieved June 20, 2023.
  6. ^ "Brown to Assume Duties This Week", Birmingham Post-Herald (November 18, 1914), p. 6.
  7. ^ a b "Wives of Appellate Court Justices", The Cullman Tribune (January 28, 1915), p. 5.
  8. ^ a b c "Alabama Appellate Courts: History of Supreme Court". Judiciary of Alabama. Archived from the original on January 19, 2022. Retrieved September 27, 2023.
Political offices
Preceded by Justice of the Supreme Court of Alabama
1920–1921
1927–1953
Succeeded by