{{Short description|American judge (1876–1940)}} {{Infobox officeholder |name = Frank D. Thompson |image = Frank D. Thompson (Vermont Supreme Court Justice).jpg |alt = |caption = From May 22, 1912 Thompson for Congress newspaper advertisement |office = Associate Justice of the Vermont Supreme Court |term_start = 1929 |term_end = 1937 |predecessor = George M. Powers |successor = John S. Buttles |office2 = Chief Judge of the Vermont Superior Court |term_start2 = 1929 |term_end2 = 1929 |predecessor2 = Julius A. Willcox |successor2 = Warner A. Graham |office3 = Judge of the Vermont Superior Court |term_start3 = 1923 |term_end3 = 1929 |predecessor3 = Fred M. Butler |successor3 = Allen R. Sturtevant |office4 = Member of the Vermont House of Representatives from Barton |term_start4 = 1923 |term_end4 = 1923 |predecessor4 = Charles A. Barrows |successor4 = John Howard Bartlett |office5 = State's Attorney of Orleans County, Vermont |term_start5 = 1918 |term_end5 = 1921 |predecessor5 = Colby Stoddard |successor5 = Albert W. Farman |office6 = Judge of the Municipal Court of Orleans County, Vermont |term_start6 = 1910 |term_end6 = 1915 |predecessor6 = Henry B. Cushman |successor6 = Henry B. Cushman |office7 = State's Attorney of Caledonia County, Vermont |term_start7 = 1904 |term_end7 = 1906 |predecessor7 = Melvin G. Morse |successor7 = Guy W. Hill |birth_date = {{Birth date|1876|4|9}} |birth_place = Irasburg, Vermont, U.S. |death_date = {{Death date and age|1940|6|12|1876|4|9}} |death_place = Barton, Vermont |resting_place = Welcome O. Brown Cemetery, Barton, Vermont |party = Republican |spouse = Mabel Miles (m. 1900–1940, his death) |parents = Laforrest H. Thompson<br/>Mary Eliza (Dutton) Thompson |relatives = Willard W. Miles (father in law) |education = Boston University School of Law |profession = Attorney }}
'''Frank D. Thompson''' (April 9, 1876 – June 12, 1940) was a Vermont attorney and judge. He is most notable for his service as an associate justice of the Vermont Supreme Court from 1929 to 1937.
==Early life== Frank Dutton Thompson was born in Irasburg, Vermont, on April 9, 1876, the son of Laforrest H. Thompson and Mary Eliza (Dutton) Thompson.{{sfn|''Who's Who in New England''|page=1061}} Laforrest Thompson was a prominent lawyer, politician and judge, and he served as President of the Vermont Senate and an associate justice of the Vermont Supreme Court.{{sfn|''Men of Vermont Illustrated''|page=397}}
Frank Thompson graduated from St. Johnsbury Academy in 1894, and attended the University of Vermont from 1894 to 1895.{{sfn|''Who's Who in New England''|page=1061}} He then studied law with Wendell Phillips Stafford,{{sfn|''History of Bank of Orleans''|page=117}} after which he enrolled at Boston University School of Law, from which he graduated with an LL.B. degree in 1899.{{sfn|''Who's Who in New England''|page=1061}} After attaining admission to the bar in 1899, Thompson practiced law in St. Johnsbury, Vermont until moving to Barton in 1906.{{sfn|''Who's Who in New England''|page=1061}}
==Political career== A Republican, Thompson became active in local and state politics.{{sfn|''Who's Who in New England''|page=1061}} He served as state's attorney for Caledonia County from 1904 to 1906.{{sfn|Vermont Legislative Directory|page=552}} After moving to Barton, he served as judge of the Orleans County municipal court from 1910 to 1915.{{sfn|Vermont Legislative Directory|page=552}} Thompson was a candidate for the Republican nomination for the United States House of Representatives from Vermont's 2nd congressional district in 1912, but withdrew before the nominating convention in favor of incumbent Frank Plumley, who was renominated and reelected.{{sfn|"F. D. Thompson for Republican Ticket"|page=2}} He was a Theodore Roosevelt delegate to the 1912 Republican National Convention, but declined to support the Progressive Party after the convention and switched his backing to the incumbent president, William Howard Taft.{{sfn|"F. D. Thompson for Republican Ticket"|page=2}} In addition to service as a village trustee and village attorney,{{sfn|''History of Bank of Orleans''|page=117}} Thompson became active in several businesses, including service on the board of directors of the Barton Savings Bank and Trust Company and Barton's Marl Products Company.{{sfn|''Who's Who in New England''|page=1061}}
Thompson served on the Vermont Board of Bar Examiners from 1916 to 1919.{{sfn|Vermont Legislative Directory|page=552}} In 1918 he was an unsuccessful candidate for the Republican nomination for state's attorney of Orleans County.{{sfn|"Stoddard Re-nominated"|page=1}} When the incumbent died, Thompson was appointed to fill the vacancy, and he served until 1921.{{sfn|Vermont Legislative Directory|page=552}}{{sfn|"State's Attorney: Frank D. Thompson Appointed in Orleans County"|page=4}}{{sfn|"Farman Wins for State's Attorney"|page=1}} From 1919 until 1923, Thompson served as reporter of decisions for the Vermont Supreme Court.{{sfn|"Thompson Made Supreme Court Reporter"|page=1}}{{sfn|"Shields Reporter of Decisions"|page=2}} In 1920, he ran unsuccessfully for the Republican nomination to represent Barton in the Vermont House of Representatives.{{sfn|"Barrows Wins in Barton"|page=1}} He won the seat in 1922, and was serving in 1923 when he was selected for a judgeship.{{sfn|"Judge Butler is Elected to Supreme Bench"|pages=1, 3}}
==Judicial career== In 1923, Thompson was appointed as a judge of the Vermont Superior Court.{{sfn|"Judge Butler is Elected to Supreme Bench"|pages=1, 3}} He advanced through seniority to become the chief judge, and continued to serve until 1929.{{sfn|"Weeks Names Powers Chief Justice, Thompson Associate"|page=2}} In December 1929, he was named an associate justice of the Vermont Supreme Court, succeeding George M. Powers, who had been promoted to chief justice.{{sfn|"Weeks Names Powers Chief Justice, Thompson Associate"|page=2}} Thompson held this position until retiring in 1937 because of ill health,{{sfn|"Justice Thompson Not a Candidate for Re-election"|page=2}} and was succeeded by John S. Buttles.{{sfn|"Justice Thompson Not a Candidate for Re-election"|page=2}}
==Honors== In 1934, Thompson received the honorary degree of LL.D. from the University of Vermont.{{sfn|"Sophie Kerr Given Degree at Vermont"|page=13}}
==Death and burial== In retirement, Thompson was a resident of Barton.{{sfn|"Frank D. Thompson, Former Supreme Court Justice, Dies"|page=2}} He died in Barton on June 12, 1940.{{sfn|"Frank D. Thompson, Former Supreme Court Justice, Dies"|page=2}} He was buried at Welcome O. Brown Cemetery in Barton.{{sfn|"Funeral of Justice Thompson"|page=5}}
==Family== In 1900, Thompson married Mabel Miles, the daughter of Willard W. Miles, who served as an associate justice of the Vermont Supreme Court.{{sfn|"Frank D. Thompson, Former Supreme Court Justice, Dies"|page=2}} They had no children.{{sfn|"Frank D. Thompson, Former Supreme Court Justice, Dies"|page=2}}
==References== {{reflist}}
==Sources== ===Newspapers=== *{{cite news |date=August 1, 1912 |title=F. D. Thompson for Republican Ticket |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/102074431/thompson-ticket/ |work=Burlington Daily News |location=Burlington, VT |via=Newspapers.com |ref={{sfnRef|"F. D. Thompson for Republican Ticket"}}}} *{{cite news |date=September 11, 1918 |title=Stoddard Re-nominated |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/95414837/stoddard-re-nominated/ |work=Orleans County Monitor |location=Barton, VT |via=Newspapers.com |ref={{sfnRef|"Stoddard Re-nominated"}}}} *{{cite news |date=October 15, 1918 |title=State's Attorney: Frank D. Thompson Appointed in Orleans County |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/174578899/|work=The Caledonian-Record |location=St. Johnsbury, VT |via=Newspapers.com |ref={{sfnRef|"State's Attorney: Frank D. Thompson Appointed in Orleans County"}}}} *{{cite news |date=April 23, 1919 |title=Thompson Made Supreme Court Reporter |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/102074492/thompson-reporter/ |work=Orleans County Monitor |location=Barton, VT |via=Newspapers.com |ref={{sfnRef|"Thompson Made Supreme Court Reporter"}}}} *{{cite news |date=September 15, 1920 |title=Barrows Wins in Barton |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/102074513/barrows-wins/ |work=Orleans County Monitor |location=Barton, VT |via=Newspapers.com |ref={{sfnRef|"Barrows Wins in Barton"}}}} *{{cite news |date=September 15, 1920 |title=Farman Wins for State's Attorney |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/102074534/farman-wins/ |work=Orleans County Monitor |location=Barton, VT |via=Newspapers.com |ref={{sfnRef|"Farman Wins for State's Attorney"}}}} *{{cite news |date=January 23, 1923 |title=Judge Butler is Elected to Supreme Bench |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/102074559/butler-elected/ |work=The Burlington Free Press |location=Burlington, VT |via=Newspapers.com |ref={{sfnRef|"Judge Butler is Elected to Supreme Bench"}}}} *{{cite news |date=February 16, 1923 |title=Shields Reporter of Decisions |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/102074602/shields-reporter/ |work=The Burlington Free Press |location=Burlington, VT |via=Newspapers.com |ref={{sfnRef|"Shields Reporter of Decisions"}}}} *{{cite news |date=December 14, 1929 |title=Weeks Names Powers Chief Justice, Thompson Associate |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/102074623/weeks-powers/ |work=The Burlington Free Press |location=Burlington, VT |via=Newspapers.com |ref={{sfnRef|"Weeks Names Powers Chief Justice, Thompson Associate"}}}} *{{cite news |agency=Associated Press |date=June 18, 1934 |title=Sophie Kerr Given Degree at Vermont |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/102074645/kerr-degree/ |work=Oakland Tribune |location=Oakland, CA |via=Newspapers.com |ref={{sfnRef|"Sophie Kerr Given Degree at Vermont"}}}} *{{cite news |date=January 13, 1937 |title=Justice Thompson Not a Candidate for Re-election |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/102074671/justice-thompson/ |work=The Burlington Free Press |location=Burlington, VT |via=Newspapers.com |ref={{sfnRef|"Justice Thompson Not a Candidate for Re-election"}}}} *{{cite news |date=January 22, 1937 |title=Buttles Elevated to Supreme Court and Adams is Made Superior Judge |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/102074769/buttles-elevated/ |work=The Burlington Free Press |location=Burlington, VT |via=Newspapers.com |ref={{sfnRef|"Buttles Elevated to Supreme Court and Adams is Made Superior Judge"}}}} *{{cite news |date=June 14, 1940 |title=Frank D. Thompson, Former Supreme Court Justice, Dies |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/102074802/obituary-for-frank-d-thompson-aged-64/ |work=The Burlington Free Press |location=Burlington, VT |via=Newspapers.com |ref={{sfnRef|"Frank D. Thompson, Former Supreme Court Justice, Dies"}}}} *{{cite news |date=June 17, 1940 |title=Funeral of Justice Thompson |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/102074831/obituary-for-justice-thompson-aged-64/ |work=The Burlington Free Press |location=Burlington, VT |via=Newspapers.com |ref={{sfnRef|"Funeral of Justice Thompson"}}}}
===Books=== *{{cite book |last=Baldwin |first=Frederick W. |date=1916 |title=History of Bank of Orleans |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qAoqAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA117 |location=Burlington, VT |publisher=Free Press Printing Company |author-link=Frederick W. Baldwin (Vermont politician) |ref={{sfnRef|''History of Bank of Orleans''}}}} *{{cite book |last=Marquis |first=Albert Nelson |date=1916 |title=Who's Who in New England |edition=2 |url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_RmUTAAAAYAAJ |page=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_RmUTAAAAYAAJ/page/n1059 1061] |location=Chicago, IL |publisher=A. N. Marquis |ref={{sfnRef|''Who's Who in New England''}}}} *{{cite book |last=Myrick |first=Rawson C. |date=1931 |title=Vermont Legislative Directory |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LV0LAQAAIAAJ&q=%22member+of+board+of+bar+examiners+1916-1919%22 |location=Montpelier, VT |publisher=Vermont Secretary of State |ref={{sfnRef|Vermont Legislative Directory}}}} *{{cite book |last=Ullery |first=Jacob G. |date=1894 |title=Men of Vermont Illustrated |url=https://archive.org/stream/menofvermontillu00ulle#page/396/mode/2up |location=Brattleboro, VT |publisher=Transcript Publishing Company |ref={{sfnRef|''Men of Vermont Illustrated''}}}}
{{s-start}} {{s-off}} {{succession box |title=Justice of the Vermont Supreme Court |before=George M. Powers |after=John S. Buttles |years=1929–1937}} {{s-end}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Thompson, Frank D.}} Category:1876 births Category:1940 deaths Category:People from St. Johnsbury, Vermont Category:People from Barton, Vermont Category:Boston University School of Law alumni Category:Republican Party members of the Vermont House of Representatives Category:State's attorneys in Vermont Category:Justices of the Vermont Supreme Court Category:20th-century members of the Vermont General Assembly