John K. Richards (March 15, 1856 - March 1, 1909), jurist, son of Samuel and Sarah (Kelvey) Richards, was born in Ironton, Lawrence County, Ohio. Having received his early education in the schools of his native town, John Richards graduated from Swarthmore College with the degree of A.B. in 1875, and two years later received the same degree from Harvard University. Returning to Ironton, he began the study of law in the office of Judge W.W. Johnson, later chief justice of the supreme court of Ohio. In 1879 he was admitted to the bar and in 1880 was elected prosecuting attorney of Lawrence County, serving until 1882. From 1885 to 1889 he was city solicitor of Ironton. In the latter year he was elected a member of the Ohio Senate, where on account of his recognized legal ability he was appointed chairman of the jidiciary committee. At the close of his two-year term he was elected attorney general of Ohio and reelected for 1894-1896, his term of office being concurrent with those of William McKinley as governor. In 1895 McKinley appointed him member of a commission to codify the insurance laws of the state, and in 1896 he was counsel for a committee authorized by the General Assembly to revise the tax laws of Ohio. In the same year he was general counsel for the state board of medical registration and examiners and also counsel for the board of appraisers and assessors. In 1897 President McKinley appointed Richards solicitor general of the United States. He remained in this office until 1903, when President Roosevelt appointed him a member of the United States circuit court for the sixth circuit, to take the place of Judge William R. Daly, who was elevated to the Supreme Court. Richards remained a member of the circuit court until his death. March 15 is the 74th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (75th in Leap years). ... 1856 was a leap year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... March 1 is the 60th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (61st in leap years). ... 1909 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... Ironton is the name of several places in the United States: Ironton, Minnesota Ironton, Missouri Ironton, Ohio Ironton, Wisconsin Ironton (town), Wisconsin This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Lawrence County is the name of several counties in the United States: Lawrence County, Alabama Lawrence County, Arkansas Lawrence County, Illinois Lawrence County, Indiana Lawrence County, Kentucky Lawrence County, Mississippi Lawrence County, Missouri Lawrence County, Ohio Lawrence County, Pennsylvania Lawrence County, South Dakota Lawrence County, Tennessee This is a disambiguation... State nickname: The Buckeye State Other U.S. States Capital Columbus Largest city Columbus Governor Bob Taft (R) Official languages None Area 116,096 km² (34th)  - Land 106,154 km²  - Water 10,044 km² (8. ... Swarthmore College is a private, coeducational liberal arts college in the United States. ... Harvard University is a private university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA, and a member of the Ivy League. ... 1879 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... 1880 was a leap year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... 1882 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... 1885 is a common year starting on Thursday. ... 1889 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... 1894 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... 1896 was a leap year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... Order: 25th President Vice President: Garret A. Hobart (1897-1899) Theodore Roosevelt (1901) Term of office: March 4, 1897 – September 14, 1901 Preceded by: Grover Cleveland Succeeded by: Theodore Roosevelt Date of birth: January 29, 1843 Place of birth: Niles, Ohio Date of death: September 14, 1901 Place of death... 1895 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... 1903 has the latest occurring solstices and equinoxes for 400 years, because the Gregorian calendar hasnt had a leap year for seven years or a century leap year since 1600. ...

While serving as the attorney general of Ohio, Richards successfully fought through the courts the claim of the state that though it had granted the canal beds to these cities for streets and sewage purposes, the cities had no right to turn them over to the railroads and that the railroads must surrender their use to the state. The tax bills which he as counsel for the legislative committee helped to draft, he was called upon to uphold in state courts and in the U.S. Supreme Court. His successful defense of these bills, which taxed the franchises of foreign corporations, the property of interstate express companies by the "unit" rule, and the proportionate share of cars of sleeping car companies, gave rise to decisions which became the basis for much important excise and property-tax law. The Supreme Court Building, Washington, D.C. The Supreme Court Building, Washington, D.C., (large image) The Supreme Court of the United States, located in Washington, D.C., is the highest court (see supreme court) in the United States; that is, it has ultimate judicial authority within the United States...

As solicitor general, he was called upon to handle the difficult legal questions arising out of the Spanish-American War, particularly in reference to the territory acquired by the United States. A number of the "Insular cases" were argued by him in the Supreme Court, as were also the Joint Traffic Association and the Addyston Pipe & Steel Company cases. He prepared the briefs and handled the Northern Securities case until his appointment to the bench in 1903. He sat on the bench for nine years and wrote during that time over 140 opinions, few being over three pages long, and many only one or two. On June 12, 1890, he married Anna Willard Steece of Ironton, Ohio, who with one daughter and two sons survived him. The Spanish-American War took place in 1898, and resulted in the United States of America gaining control over the former colonies of Spain in the Caribbean and Pacific. ... June 12 is the 163rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (164th in leap years), with 202 days remaining. ... 1890 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ...

This article incorporates facts obtained from the public domain Office of the Solicitor General. The public domain comprises the body of all creative works and other knowledge—writing, artwork, music, science, inventions, and others—in which no person or organization has any proprietary interest. ... The United States Solicitor General is the individual tasked with arguing for the United States Government in front of the U.S. Supreme Court, when the government is party to a case. ...

United States Solicitor General
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