Richard F. Mitchell

Richard Furlong Mitchell (October 11, 1889 – August 2, 1969) was the chief justice of the Iowa Supreme Court in 1934.

Early life and Legal career

Born in Fort Dodge, Iowa, He graduated from Iowa state law school in 1913. He spent much of the next 19 years of his career in private practice at Fort Dodge. From 1924 to 1931, he was a Democratic State Central Committee member. In 1929, he was a Democratic National committeeman. He married Mirian Reynolds. They had two daughters.

Iowa Supreme Court

He was elected from Webster County on December 6, 1932, after Justice William L. Bliss resigned from the court. During that time, he authored 465 opinions. He also served as chief justice for part of his time. He left the court in 1942 and was replaced by John E. Mulroney.

Post Court After he left the court, he returned to his private practice in Fort Dodge.

During World War Two, he was a labor mediator for President Franklin D. Roosevelt, and then President Harry S. Truman. In 1946, Truman appointed Mitchell to the Interstate Commerce Commission, and was the chairman of it from 1954 to 1957. He retired in 1959.