The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1893-03-24
SELF MADE AND MADE WELL.
The Remarkable Record of Judge Frank
A. Hooker.

The Remarkable Record of Judge Franz
A. Hooker.
Judge Frank A. Hooker, republican can
didate for Justice of the Supreme Court be-
longs to that large class of men of which
the United States has furnished so many
illustrious examples-self- men. Furth-
ermOre, even his most bitter political OPP
ponents have never accused him of being
otherwise than credit to himself as the
architect of his own fortunes.
Judge Hooker was born little over forty
nine years ago at Hartford, Conn. His
grandfather was the somewhat celebrated
DIR. Nathaniel Hooker and his father was
James S. Hooker, an enterprising contractor
and builder. From these ancestors the sub
ject of this sketch inherited practically moth
ing but a good constitution and plentiful
stock of the moral and intellectual qualities
which render him noted among his fellows.
When young Frank was but twelve years
of age his father lost his fortune and came
west. The family settled at Maumee City,
Ohio, but soon afterwards moved to Fort
Defiance, in the same state. Here the
family exchequer became so depleted that
Frank who was by this time fourteen years
of age, was compelled to assist in the sup
port of the family. He learned the mason's
trade and followed it faithfully for seven
long years.
During the winter seasons, when work
with the trowel was out of the question, Mr..
Hooker pursued the studies which he had
commenced under more favorable auspices
in more prosperous years. He was assisted
in these efforts to gain an education " an
older sister, who had graduated with high
hOnOrs from the Hartford High School. For
several winters Mr.. Hooker taught the vii
lage school. He expected to enter COM
mercial life, and when he was eighteen he
took course in a business college TO pre-
pare himself for it. But when Mr.. Hooker
had partially mastered the intricacies of
mercantile life he found that it was exceed
ingly distasteful to him, and he began to
make other plans for his future. He fortu-
nately decided to study law for which he
was so well adapted, as was afterward
proved.
By means of the money saved from his
work at his trade and from teaching school,
Mr.. Hooker was enabled TO enter the law
department of the University of Michigan.
He was attracted to the institution not only
by its high standing but by the exceedingly
generous terms on which it received students
from other states, giving them the benefit of
an education at a nominal cost. Judge
Hooker has often said that he owed what
eyer success he had to the University.
MI. Hooker spent the summer vacations
of his college life at the mortar huard, add
ing to his scanty means and keeping uIpffs
physical strength at the same time. He
never boasts of the fact that he is self
made man, as he is too modest to claim the
entire credit for his success, but the fact re-
mains that he has traversed the long dis
lance between the mortar board and the
supreme bench with no resources to draw
from but those which lay within himself.
In 1865, Mr.. Hooker graduated from the
University and was admitted to the bar up
on his diploma. He Immediately entered
into partnership with John A. Simon,
lawyer of many years standing at Bryan,
Williams county, Ohio.
After testing his legal lance in Bryan,
Ohio, for year, Mr.. Hooker moved to
Charlotte, Michigan, where he has since
resided.
Mr.. Hooker's talents were quickly dis
covered by the people of Charlotte, and be-
fore he had been in the city year he was
nominated and elected superintendent of
schools Of Eaton county on the republican
ticket. This was quite triumph for the
young attorney, who was just past twenty
three years of age and was new conner in
the county, but IL was only the first of
series of similar triumphs which the people
of Eaton county have bestowed upon him.
Mr.. Hooker served his county faithfully
and well as superintendent of schools,
position for which his previous experience
as a teacher had thoroughly qualified him,
and In the spring of 1869 he was elected
justice Of the peace.
In this minor judicial position, Mr..
Hooker soon began to give evidence of the
mental polse, keen insight, upright inten-
tons and courageous spirit which make up
the successful judge. He was an active
magistrate of the city, and cases which in
yolyed the deepest principles of law, though
petty In their nature, were brought before
him In great numbers.
Mr. Hooker became very familiar with
the practice of the law, both civil and
criminal, while acting in this capacity of
justice of the peace. His mind rapidly
ripened into that of the calm and just judge,
before whom all righteous interests are safe.
Despite his youthfulness he gained the con-
idence and respect Of the community in
remarkable manner.
This was strikingly illustrated In 1872,