Elias Finley Johnson

Elias Finley Johnson (24 June 1861 – 1 August 1933) was an American politician, professor, surveyor, author, jurist, statesman, lawyer and judge. He served as Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines from October 3, 1903, until his resignation on April 1, 1933. Johnson also served as a member of the Ohio House of Representatives from 1883 to 1887. He was an author of the Johnson on Bills and Notes and Elements of law of Negotiable Contracts. He was the longest-serving Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines; he served for 29 years and 52 days.

Biography Johnson was born on June 24, 1861, at Van Wert, Ohio. His parents were Judge Abel Johnson, judge of the Court of Common Pleas in Ohio, and Margaret (née Gillespie) Johnson. His father was of Welsh descent and his mother was of English descent. His uncle from his father's side was the Chief justice in the Supreme Court of Ohio, and his uncle on his mother's side, Judge William H. West was also a member in the Supreme Court of Ohio His family came from Eastern Pennsylvania and settled in Ohio. His grandfather was the first treasurer of Van Wert County, Ohio, and his uncle, Davis Johnson, was also county treasurer of Van Wert County.

His father died when he was only four years old.

When he graduated high school in 1876, he started teaching to make enough money for his family. He was able to enter senior class in 1880.

He attended the Ohio State University but did not complete the course. At the age of 19 he received a Bachelor of Science degree from Normal University of Ohio. He attended law school of the University of Michigan in 1888, and graduated Bachelor of Laws in 1890 and Master of Laws in 1891.

At the age of 22, he became a member of the Ohio House of Representatives, serving from 1883 to 1887. Johnson became an assistant professor and instructor from 1891 to 1897 at the University of Michigan. He became a member of the Board of Regents of the University of Michigan He served from 1898 until resigning in 1901 to become an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines.

In February 1901, President William McKinley appointed Johnson a judge of the Court of First Instance (currently known as Regional Trial Court) in Pangasinan. Johnson also become a professor of law at the University of the Philippines, and a member of the Board of Regents at the same school. In 1881, he was appointed as School Superintendent of Schools for Van Wert County, but he resigned in 1883 to accept his nomination for the Republican ticket for representative for Van Wert.

As associate justice In 1901 President Theodore Roosevelt appointed Johnson as associate justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines, replacing associate justice John T. McDonough. Johnson resigned as a member of the Board of Regents of the University of Michigan to accept this promotion.

It was argued that his decisions as Associate Justice religiously cited the works of Thomas M. Cooley.