Evening star., 1925-01-05
JUSTICE M'KENNA
RESIGNS HIS SEAT
ON SUPREME BENCH
Has Spent Upward of 80
Years in Highest Court.
Has Reached 82d Year.

The resignation of Associate Jus
tice Joseph McKenna was announced
today from the bench of the Supreme
Court. Chief Justice Taft, making
the announcement as soon as the
court met, said the resignation had
been accepted by President Coolidge.
By virtue of upward Of 80 years
service on the Supreme bench, Justice
McKenna is the ranking associate
justice of the court. He retires be-
cause of his advanced age.
Justice McKenna is in his SD
year, and three weeks from to-
day will mark the wtenty-seventh
anniversary of his elevation to the
Supreme bench by President Nc
Kinley. Before that appointment he
had served in Congress as "A Repre-
sentative from California, had been
a United States circuit Judge under
the Harrison administration and had
occupied place in McKinley's cab
met as Attorney General.
wife Died Recently.
His health had been unusually ro-
bust for a man of his years, and he
has applied himself with great vigor
to the heavy tasks of the high court.
Several months ago, however, the
death of his wife added an additional
weight of sorrow and loneliness to
the burden of the advancing years,
and lie decided to lay aside the OFF,
cial cares which for so long have
taxed to the highest capacity his
brilliant capabilities.
The members of the court joined in
a letter to Justice McKenna express
ing their high regard for him and
their sorrow at his leaving the bench
your pride in the court, its high
traditions and its courage" the letter
said, has made deep impression on
US, who have enjoyed the benefit of
your greater experience, example and
esprit de corps. Your fraternal ma
ture, your loyalty toward each of US,
your tenderness in times of strain and
stress endear you to us and make us
feel deeply sensible to our loss"
The retiring justice presented let
ter in reply, expressing appreciation.
At the conclusion of the court session
a large basket of red flowers was
brought to the bench and placed be-
fore him.
Born in Philadelphia.
Born in Philadelphia August 10,
1S43, Justice McKenna moved TO CAL
of II and continued his education.
began in a Catholic school in the
Quaker City. in the Benicia Collegiate
Institute where he studied law.
Admitted to the bar in 1865, Justice
McKenna soon became active in poll
tics and was elected district attorney
for Colane County, California In
1875 and 1876 he was member of
the State Legislature. Twice he was
defeated for Congress, but was elect
ed in 1884 and served in the House
until he resigned in 1892 to accept
an appointment by President Harri-
son as United States circuit judge in
the circuit embracing the Pacific
Coast States.
Justice McKenna's warm friendship
for President Mckinley won for him
an appointment as Attorney General,
and about n year after entering the
Cabinet was chosen to fill a vacancy
on the Supreme Court caused by the
death of Associate Justice Stephen j.
Field of California. During his long
service on the Supreme Court bench
he wrote a large share of opinions
dealing with cases from the Pacific
Coast States, Hawaii and the Philip
pines.
1t is the general supposition that
the retirement of the justice will be
followed by the appointment of an
other member of the court from the
Pacific Coast. One of those men
toned is Secretary Wilbur of the
Navy Department, who before he en-
tered the Cabinet was chief justice
of the California Supreme Court.