Russ McDonald's Judicial Biographies

The Judicial Biographies that were prepared by Russ McDonald in a 420 page collection and which have not been published are as follows.  These are under discussion by the Society.  There is a copy of the manuscript at the Nevada Supreme Court Library.
Russ McDonald was Nevada Legislative Counsel and was also responsible for codifying the Nevada Revised Statutes.


                                    TABLE OF CONTENTS

Subject:                                                                  Page #


Brent T. Adams....................................................... 1
Debora Ann Agosti.................................................... 1
George Phillip Annand................................................ 3
Mark Richards Averill................................................ 3
Howard W. Babcock.................................................... 4
Milton Benjamin Badt................................................. 4
S.L.Baker............................................................ 5
Alexander White "Sandy" Baldwin.................................... 5&6
George A. Ballard.................................................... 7
John William Barrett................................................. 8
George Arthur Bartlett............................................... 8
Cameron M. Batjer.................................................... 9
Henry Oscar Beatty................................................ 9-11
William Henry Beatty............................................. 12-21
William P. Beko..................................................... 21
John S. Belford..................................................... 22
Charles Henry Belknap............................................... 23
Lester H. Berkson................................................... 24
George G. Berry.................................................. 24-25
Rensselaer R. Bigelow............................................... 26
Archie E. Blake..................................................... 27
John Henry Boalt.................................................... 27
William Madison Boardman......................................... 28-31
Joseph Bonaventure.................................................. 32
McKaskia Steams Bonnifield.......................................... 32
Samuel James Bonnefield..............................................33
William Sutherland Bonnefield.................................... 34-36
Grant L. Bowen...................................................... 37
Peter Breen...................................................... 37-42
Peter Breen#2....................................................... 43
Peter I. Breen...................................................... 44
James A. Brennan.................................................... 44
Cornelius M. Brosnan..............................................44-65
George Sampson Brown................................................ 66
Merwyn Harold Brown................................................. 67
Melvin T. Brunetti.................................................. 68
Caleb Burbank.................................................... 68-71
James A. Callahan................................................... 72
Edward Peter Carville............................................ 72-73
Samuel H. Chase.................................................. 74-76
Azro Eugene Cheney.................................................. 77
Carl J. Christensen................................................. 77
Harry Eugene Claiborne.......................................... 78-101
Frederick Wadsworth Cole....................................... 102-110
Benjamin Wilson Coleman........................................ 110-114
Jon R. Collins................................................. 114-116
William P. Compton................................................. 117
John Cradlebaugh............................................... 118-138
Thomas Owen Craven................................................. 138
Benjamin Curler................................................ 139-146
Benjamin Franklin Curler....................................... 146-153
William Wormer Drummond........................................ 153-173
Edward Augustus Ducker.......................................... 173-18
Frank T. Dunn...................................................... 182
Edmund Francis Dunne........................................... 182-198
James Dysart...................................................... 198
Warner Earll.................................................. 199-202
Theodore D. Edwards........................................... 203-210
Edward Silsby Farrington...................................... 211-216
Adolphus Leigh Fitzgerald..................................... 216-223
James H. Flack................................................ 223-230
Robert Patterson Flenniken.................................... 230-237
Charles North Harris.......................................... 239-245
William Haydon................................................ 246-262
Edgar Winters Hillyer......................................... 263-274
John Neely Johnson............................................ 275-279
Thomas Van Camp Julien........................................ 280-294
George D. Keeney.............................................. 294-307
James Giles McClinton......................................... 308-316
Gordon Newell Mott............................................ 317-320
Frank Herbert Norcross........................................ 321-325
John Wesley North............................................. 325-335
Richard Rising................................................ 335A-357
George Myron Sabin............................................ 359-367
George Enoch Turner........................................... 368A-424A
Daniel Webster Virgin......................................... 369-379
J. Emmett Walsh............................................... 380-383
Thomas H. Wells............................................... 385-419

Minutes of the Meeting of the Board of Trustees

of the

Nevada Judicial Historical Society

March 13, 2015

Carson City, Nevada

The meeting was called to order at 12:15 by Chairman Michael Fondi. Present and constituting a quorum were Susan Southwick, Secretary, Janette Bloom, Treasurer, Jeff Kintop, Vice-Chairman and trustees Clinton Case, Robert Johnston, Dennis Myers, The Honorable Thomas Perkins, The Honorable Mark Gibbons, Jim Smith, Peter Smith, and Karen Baggett, as well as members Christine Timko and Terry Rankin.  Also present was guest Don Southwick.

The minutes of the Annual Meeting of the Board, September 19, 2014 were approved as mailed. (Meyers/Johnston)

Treasurer Janette Bloom reported a 2014 ending balance of $6,931.60.  With $75.00 in new memberships and $27.88 in expenditures, the current balance is $6,978.72.  Gibbons moved to approve, seconded by Smith; approved.

There were several reports on different aspects of the Joint Oral History Project.  Jeff Kintop reported that Silver State Industries (the Prison print shop) had given an estimate of $1,099 to print and bind 7 copies each of the 12 oral histories already completed.  Although it was possible to save some costs by combining several of the shorter narratives into one volume, the consensus was that the price was reasonable as presented.  A technical glitch is that the narratives are currently formatted as double-columns on 8 ½” x 11”, while the desired bound format is to be octavo with no columns.  Janette Bloom took a CD copy of the on-line version and said she would work on the formatting.  Judge Perkins then moved to accept the price of approximately $12/apiece to print and bind with a 20% margin.  Second by Jim Smith and approved.

Peter Smith reported that he had a transcript (in both print and digital formats) of an oral history of Judge John Mendoza which had been done but not published by the UNLV Oral History Program.  He wants to use the publication of this narrative by NJHS perhaps to open up cooperation with the UNLV program, since UNR no longer is actively pursuing oral histories.  Judge Mendoza’s transcript lacks a release, so before he proceeds with any details, he hopes to have obtained a release from the family in April.

Susan Southwick reported that she had got the rough transcription of Judge Fondi’s 1994 partial history edited by Patricia Cooper-Smith.  Judge Fondi has reviewed it made corrections and signed a release.  Both she and Judge Fondi felt that more was needed to make a full oral history and that both his life through law school and his activities after 1994 should be added.  Peter Smith asked Judge Fondi who he would like to have interview him for the additional segments, and he said he thought someone with experience as a professional interviewer would be best.  Mrs. Southwick will work with Brad Williams on how to proceed.

Susan Southwick reported that she had written a letter to the acting director of the Nevada Historical Society for permission to publish Russell MacDonald’s Biographical Sketches of Nevada Judges.  The Historical Society is the repository of MacDonald’s papers, but the family donated a computer with several files to the Judicial Historical Society and wrote several letters expressing their desire that NJHS edit and publish the Sketches.  There was no response from the Nevada Historical Society and Jeff Kintop said he had started addressing the issue with Peter Barton, the Museum director.  Mr. Kintop related his familiarity with the files and said they needed a great deal of editing, including providing attribution to the many sources Mr. MacDonald relied upon.  He said that in addition to the manuscript, there are hundreds of biographical files in boxes at the Nevada Historical Society and he has at least compiled a listing of them.  The upshot is that an attempt at publishing the Sketches will require some serious scoping as to how to limit the project.  He suggested that interested members review some of the Sketches to get an idea of what needs to be done.  He said he had converted the file to Word and had got as far as Cradlebaugh in preliminary editing.

Mrs. Southwick polled the Board as to who wished to continue on the ballot in September.  She said Don Klasic had declined to run again, leaving an opening on the Board for at least one new trustee.  Michael Bowers, Michael Fondi, Jeff Kintop, Karen Baggett and Peter Smith said they would like to remain on the Board, as did Mrs. Southwick, although declining to run for another term as secretary.
Jim Smith reported that the State Bar did consider the proposed check-off donation from membership dues to the NJHS, but that there was concern that it would open a floodgate of similar requests, costing the Bar too much.  Peter Smith suggested the NJHS provide more submissions to the Nevada Lawyer so that the Society would get more notice.

Susan Southwick submitted several suggested revisions to the By-laws, requesting the Board’s input and approval before putting them to the membership for a vote.  Robert Johnston moved that the language “shall be mailed or e-mailed” be used where “sent” is used for notice.  Second?  Approved.
Jeff Kintop then reported that he can now obtain a digital reader for the audio portion of the 10 Cases exhibit which will include all ten of the audio recordings.  It will have numbered buttons wired to existing speakers.  A new panel for the exhibit cabinet will cost about $800, with the reader at about $2,000.  He requested  $3,000 to get the exhibit up and running again and said funding could perhaps be obtained from the 150th Anniversary Commission remaining monies.  Jim Smith moved, Peter Smith seconding, that Mr. Kintop draft a letter to the Chairman of the Commission requesting funding and that it go out under the name of NJHS Chairman Michael Fondi.  Approved. {note: the Board approved $2,000 for this project in March 2013.}

Jim Smith then added that Judge David Hardy of the Second Judicial District is very interested in Nevada Territorial and Washoe County judges.  Susan Southwick noted that Judge Hardy had joined NJHS for 2015, and Supreme Court Justice Hardesty was also interested in becoming a member.
Peter Smith moved to adjourn, there being no further business, seconded by Susan Southwick.

Adjourned at 1:50.
Respectfully submitted:

         - - - Draft - - -
Susan Southwick, Secretary

Agenda March 13, 2015

Meeting of the Board of Trustees

of the

Nevada Judicial Historical Society

Friday, March 13, 2015
Noon – 2:00 p. m.
Grandma Hattie’s Restaurant
2811 S. Carson St.
Carson City, Nevada


I. Call to order – Chairman Michael Fondi
II. Approve Minutes of Annual Meeting of Board, September 19, 2014, as mailed
III. Treasurer’s Report – Janette Bloom, Treasurer
IV. Projects: Reports and Possible Action
a. Oral histories. Binding: Jeff Kintop. Judge Mendoza transcript: Peter Smith. Judge Fondi
    transcript: Susan Southwick
b. Russell MacDonald’s Biographical Sketches – Susan Southwick
V. Trustees up for election/re-election for September 2015 to September 2018 – Susan Southwick
VI. By-laws up-date, request to submit on-line to membership for approval – Susan Southwick
VII. New Business
VIII. Adjournment

Annual Meeting September 19, 2014

Annual Meeting of the

Nevada Judicial Historical Society

Friday, September 19, 2014

Noon – 2:00 p.m.

Grandma Hattie’s Restaurant

2811 S. Carson St.

Carson City, NV

I.  Call to Order – Vice-Chairman, Jeff Kintop.
II. Approval of the Minutes of the Annual Meeting of September 20, 2013
III. Treasurer’s Report – Janette Bloom , Treasurer
IV. Presentation of 2014 Annual Report – Vice-Chairman, Jeff Kintop
V. Election Results, Board of Trustees – Susan Southwick, Nominating Committee
VI. Project Reports:
a. Joint Oral History Project:  Susan Southwick for Ad Hoc Committee
b. Additions to web site of Justices’ Investitures and Memorials – Paula Doty, Nevada
   Supreme Court Library
c. Donations check-off for NJHS on Bar Invoice – Jim Smith
d. Possible By-Laws Amendments – Susan Southwick
VII. New Business
VIII. Adjourn Annual Meeting of the Membership

Reconvene as Annual Meeting of the Board of Trustees

I. Call to Order – Vice-Chairman, Jeff Kintop
II. Approval of the Minutes of the Board Meeting of March 14, 2014
III. Elect Chairman, Vice Chairman and Treasurer to 3 year terms
IV. Set date for 2015 Annual Meeting
V. New Business
VI. Adjourn Meeting of Board of Trustees.

Annual Meeting, Board of Trustees, is set for noon, Friday September 19, 2014, in Carson City
Details and Agenda will be posted

Board Meeting March, 2014

Minutes of the Meeting of the Board of Trustees

of the

Nevada Judicial Historical Society

March 14, 2014

Carson City, Nevada

    The meeting was called to order by Chairman Michael Fondi at 12:15. Present were Vice-Chairman Jeff Kintop, Susan Southwick, Secretary and trustees Tom Perkins, Karen Baggett, Don Klasic, Dennis Myers, Jim Smith, Clint Case and Peter Smith.  Also present were member Christine Timko and guest Don Southwick.

    The minutes of the Annual Meeting of the Board, September 20, 2013, were approved as mailed. (Myers/P. Smith)

     Susan Southwick delivered the Treasurer’s report. Janette Bloom had prepared an end-of-fiscal-year report, giving a balance of $6,190.50.  With two large membership renewals in 2014, the current balance is $6,390.50.

     Peter Smith reported on the plaque presentation ceremony which accompanied the Supreme Court’s Northern Panel oral arguments on November 14, 2013.  The plaque honored Horatio McClean Jones, who served as Lyon County’s first district court judge. Trustee Patricia Cafferata also delivered a brief history of the old Lyon County Courthouse. The arguments and presentations were well-attended by local high school classes and government dignitaries.  Mr. Smith noted that there were currently no plaques contemplated for the near future.

     Mr. Smith then reported on the status of the Joint Oral History Project, stating that 12 histories were completed and that a decision should be made on the expenditure of the balance of the Jon Ben Snow Foundation grant, which is about $17,000.  Susan Southwick said she had identified public, special and higher education libraries which might use the histories and that printing and binding about 61 copies of each history would be the largest expenditure.  She said that could be pared down by printing several copies for just a few large libraries to distribute by interlibrary loan. Each copy would cost about $12.         Christine Timko pointed out that interlibrary loan was a standard service among all Nevada libraries.  There was discussion about the on-line availability of all the histories, which might meet the requirement for widespread distribution; these can be downloaded at no charge from the UNR Special Collections Library’s web-site.  

     Mr. Smith then asked the group for suggestions for new interviews, and Ms. Timko emphasized the importance of using the funding to capture members of the bench and bar while they were still able to contribute.  Chief Justice Gibbons offered Miriam Shearing and Robert Rose.  Susan Southwick suggested Michael Fondi.  Others mentioned were Al Pagni, Robert List, Tom Russell, Robert Miller, Harry Reid, Richard Bryan and Andy McKenzie.

     Discussion then turned to the difficulties of getting transcriptions of the interviews, a task which had originally been the Oral History Project’s contribution.  Transcription software was mentioned, as was contacting the UNLV Oral History program to see who they used.  Videotaping the interviews was also discussed.

     Eventually, a motion was made by Tom Perkins, seconded by Gibbons, to print and bind 7 copies each of the 12 completed histories, to be distributed as follows: University of Nevada System, 2 copies, State Library and Archives, 2, Washoe and Clark County Library Systems, 1 each, and 1 to the Supreme Court Library.  The motion passed unopposed.

     Peter Smith provided a draft of a letter to serve as a status report to the Jon Ben Snow Foundation, which was approved by the Chairman.

    Jeff Kintop reported that he hasn’t had much input from the State Museum director and so has moved on his own to update the “Ten Cases” exhibit.  The company proposed to create the new CDs has an 8 program limit, while we have 10 narratives, but they have agreed to see if they can adapt the format.  Doug Southerland will be approached to create a new photo montage for the display.  The sound system might also be adapted to accommodate two controllers, rather than the one now in use.

Jim Smith said he hadn’t been able to find out who could approve adding the Society to the State Bar’s “check-off” donations.  Chief Justice Gibbons asked Jim to prepare the request and that he would see it got delivered.

     Under new business, Christine Timko reported that a list of investitures and memorials of Nevada judges and justices had been added to the Society’s web-site.  She hopes to have the texts scanned in soon, as well.

    Ms. Southwick said she was going to review N.R.S. Chapter 82 to determine whether the Articles of Incorporation and By-laws remain fully in compliance.  She will report at the Annual Meeting.

    Chairman Fondi noted that the annual meeting will be held September 19, 2014.

    The meeting was adjourned at 1:15.

Respectfully submitted:

____________________unsigned draft______________

Susan Southwick, Secretary

Oral History Project Report

In 2001 the John Ben Snow Memorial Trust granted $15,000 to the Nevada Joint Oral History Project, consisting of the Nevada Judicial Historical Society, the Ninth Judicial Circuit Historical Society and the University of Nevada Oral History Program.  Matching funds were provided by the State Bar of Nevada, Washoe County Courthouse Historic & Preservation Society,  and the U.S. District Court for Nevada.

Our proposal was to take the oral histories of persons of interest in the history of the Nevada legal system, both state and federal, and to make them available to the public.  After the passage of some time we have now completed the oral histories of the following people, each edited and with an introduction:

        State judges Cliff Young, John Barrett, Cameron Batjer, Peter Breen  and Al Gunderson,                     Federal judges Proctor Hug, Howard McKibben, Bruce Thompson and Harry Claiborne,                     Attorneys Charlotte Hunter Arley,  Frank Daykin and Herb Jones.

These histories are available online through the Special Collections office of the University of Nevada, Reno.  They can be found if you search for "University of Nevada Oral History Program" and select Archives and enter "Nevada Judicial Historical Society".  You will see a full listing of our oral histories completed and published to date.

 We anticipate using the introduction for each history as an article in the Online Nevada Encyclopedia, with links to the full transcripts, in order to make them more accessible to the general public.  This is scheduled for completion this coming fall.  We are also arranging for the production of hard copies to be supplied to a selection of Nevada libraries and educational institutions.

We have a couple more histories taken and transcribed but for which we have not yet obtained releases from the families of the subjects.

The original grant of $15,000 from the  John Ben Snow Trust was matched by $15,000 of other funds and we now have $17,665 remaining to be applied to further efforts on the same subject.  The balance of our funds is being held  and managed by the Ninth Judicial Circuit Historical Society.