William Tod Otto

William Tod Otto (January 19, 1816 – November 7, 1905) was an American judge and the eighth reporter of decisions of the United States Supreme Court, serving as reporter from 1875 to 1883.

Early life, family and education Born in Philadelphia, he was the son of noted physician John Conrad Otto. William's great-grandfather was Revolutionary War Army Surgeon Bodo Otto, who had three sons that were also surgeons and assisted him during wartime.

William earned his A.B. in 1833 and his A.M. in 1836, both from the University of Pennsylvania, and then read law with Joseph R. Ingersoll.

Otto later served as a diplomat, helping arbitrate claims against Spain, as well as a delegate to the Universal Postal Union congress in Lisbon, Portugal. In 1875, he was named Reporter of Decisions of the Supreme Court of the United States, a position he held until 1883.