Melville Fuller

Melville Weston Fuller ( born February 11, 1833 in Augusta, Maine; † July 4, 1910 ) was an American jurist and Chief Justice of the United States from 1888 until 1910.

The one who was born in Augusta, Maine Fuller studied at the prestigious Harvard University and at Bowdoin College. In 1853 he took his degree there. His two grandfathers ( Nathan Weston and Henry Weld Fuller) had been judges. His father was a prominent lawyer. His parents divorced shortly after his birth and he was raised by his grandfather Nathan Weston.

After finishing school, he studied under the care of an uncle Jura. In 1855 he became a partner of another uncle. At the same time he issued in Maine democratic newspaper "The Age", before he decided to move to Chicago. In 1860, he was the campaign manager for Democratic presidential candidate Stephen A. Douglas.

In the emerging Chicago Fuller founded his own law firm, which should be very successful soon. After only two years, he submitted his first complaint to the Supreme Court of the State of Illinois. There were other complaints that led him to the highest federal court in the U.S.. Even the Chief Justice, Morrison R. Waite, whose office it was to take over later, had to deal with his complaints.

In politics, Fuller played only a minor role. For a period he was a member of the House of Representatives from Illinois and he was 1864-1880 delegate nomination party four days of the Democratic Party, in which the respective presidential candidate of the party was determined. His party lost all four elections to the Republicans. Multiple an office in the government, he was offered, but he refused.

After the death of Morrison Waite 1888 Fuller was appointed as his successor. His appointment was not without controversy, but eventually also voted nine Republicans to the appointment, which earned him a majority of votes 40:21.

In his new post he felled some notable judgments. He explained, for example, a new income tax law unconstitutional or he forbade the states to tax cross-border telegrams. During his tenure, the inaugurations or the oaths of five U.S. presidents succumbed.

Fuller was married twice and had six daughters.