William C. Perry

William C. Perry (March 11, 1900 – October 27, 1985) was an American attorney and jurist in Oregon. He was the 34th Chief Justice of the Oregon Supreme Court. He served in that role twice for a total of five years. Perry was appointed to the court by soon to be ex-governor Douglas McKay after McKay had already appointed him as a county circuit court judge. A native of Kansas, he also worked as a county prosecuting attorney and city attorney prior to joining the state's highest court.

Early life William C. Perry was born on March 11, 1900, in Belleville, Kansas, where he then grew up before he served in the military during World War I. He graduated from the University of Kansas in Lawrence, Kansas, in 1922. There Perry was a member of the fraternity Phi Gamma Delta and earned both his undergraduate degree and a law degree. McKay resigned as governor the following day. Then in 1954 Perry won election to a full six-year term followed by re-election in 1960 and 1966. Another clerk, Ken Morrow, was a high-profile defense attorney in Oregon.

After retiring from the bench, Perry served as Chair of the Natural Resources section at the House of Delegates for the American Bar Association in 1974. William C. Perry died in Chula Vista, California, on October 27, 1985, at the age of 85 years.

Decisions authored State v. Edwards, 243 Or. 440, 412 P.2d 526 (1996) (sodomy)