 curtis dwight wilbur (may 10, 1867 &ndash; september 8, 1954) was born in iowa. he was appointed to the united states naval academy in 1884. shortly after graduation, curtis wilbur resigned his commission, a common practice at the time, and moved to riverside, california. he was admitted to the california bar in 1890 and served as los angeles deputy assistant district attorney. curtis wilbur moved to the superior court in 1903, and finally, in 1918, to the california supreme court where he served as the 19th chief justice of california. curtis wilbur lived with his wife and children in a grand home completed in 1904 on frederick knob in san francisco. he was born in boonesboro, iowa. ==biography== on march 19, 1924, curtis wilbur was sworn in as secretary of the navy. the first appointee of president calvin coolidge, curtis wilbur came into the position with a reputation as a man of high intellect and a character of "unimpeachable integrity." by the end of his term, curtis wilbur had achieved success in enlarging and modernizing the fleet and established a naval air force which would grow to become a potent component in the war with japan. in the last hours of his presidency, coolidge nominated curtis wilbur to the ninth circuit court of appeals in san francisco."wilbur nominated for judge post," woodland daily democrat, 1929-03-01 at p. 1 (noting, as the coolidge administration ended, that coolidge nominated wilbur for the new judgeship). however, when the 70th congress ended that week, the senate had not acted on the nomination, so it expired."sentence cut out by hoover," oakland tribune, 1929-03-04, section d, p. 1 (noting that the wilbur nomination was not acted upon before the 70th congress ended). president herbert hoover then resubmitted the nomination to the senate in the 71st congress, which approved it. wilbur served as a judge in active se
1867_births 1954_deaths American_Congregationalists California_Republicans California_lawyers Chief_Justices_of_California Coolidge_administration_cabinet_members Judges_of_the_United_States_Court_of_Appeals_for_the_Ninth_Circuit People_from_Boone,_Iowa United_States_Naval_Academy_alumni United_States_Secretaries_of_the_Navy United_States_court_of_appeals_judges_appointed_by_Herbert_Hoover