Wallace McCamant

Wallace McCamant (September 22, 1867 – December 17, 1944) was an American jurist in Oregon. A Pennsylvania native, he served as the 46th justice of the Oregon Supreme Court from 1917 to 1918. Later he served briefly as a United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. As a delegate to the Republican National Convention in 1920, McCamant surprised the GOP leadership by placing the name of Calvin Coolidge into nomination for Vice-President. Coolidge would become the 30th President of the United States upon the death of President Harding in 1923.

Education and career

Born on September 22, 1867, in Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania, McCamant was the son of Thomas McCamant and the former Delia Robbins. He grew up in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and attended the public schools in that town. Wallace then read law and in 1890 was admitted to the bar in Pennsylvania and subsequently moved to Oregon. He would serve as the President General of the Sons of the American Revolution from 1921 until 1922. During his private legal career McCamant appeared before the United States Supreme Court in Ross v. State of Oregon, 227 US 150 (1913). On January 8, 1917, McCamant was appointed to the Oregon Supreme Court to replace Robert Eakin by Oregon Governor James Withycombe. Eighteen months later, McCamant resigned on June 4, 1918, and was replaced by Charles A. Johns. With the Senate not confirming McCamant, he became the first rejected recess appointment to a United States Court of Appeals.

Later life

In 1922, McCamant dedicated the Theodore Roosevelt Rough Rider statue in Portland's South Park Blocks. On December 17, 1944, McCamant died and was buried at River View Cemetery in Portland.