Thomas Tongue

Thomas H. Tongue III (February 12, 1912 – May 31, 1994) was an American jurist in the state of Oregon. A native of the state, he served as the 75th justice of the Oregon Supreme Court, serving 13 years on the state's highest court. Tongue was the grandson of U.S. Representative Thomas H. Tongue, who was an emigrant from England in the early days of the state of Oregon. He began college in 1930 and graduated with his undergraduate degree from the University of Oregon in 1934. He then attended the School of Law at the University of Oregon, graduating with a J.D. in 1937. While at Oregon he served as class president as an undergrad, and finished first in his class in law school. After the University of Oregon he went on to earn an advanced degree from Yale Law School. Tongue was then elected to a full six-year term in 1970 and re-elected in 1976. Tongue was president of the Multnomah Bar Association from 1976 to 1977.

Decisions authored Ruble Forest Products, Inc. v. Lancer Mobile Homes of Oregon, 269 Or. 315, 524 P.2d 1204 (1974) (contract law) Southworth v. Oliver, 284 Or. 361, 587 P.2d 994 (1978) (contract law) Oregon Bus. Planning Cncl. v. Dept. of Land Conservation and Development, 290 Or. 741, 626 P.2d 350 (1981) (land use)

Later life and family

Justice Tongue was married to Bernice Healy. They had three sons: John Richard, James Cadwell, and Thomas Healy. Thomas H. Tongue III died May 31, 1994, in Hillsboro, Oregon and is buried at Hillsboro’s Pioneer Cemetery.