Charles Mason (Iowa judge)

Charles Mason (October 24, 1804 – February 25, 1882) was born in Pompey, New York and became a patent attorney, taught engineering, and was the chief justice of the Iowa Territorial Supreme Court, from 1838 to 1846, and then became the first chief justice of the Iowa Supreme Court when Iowa was granted statehood, from 1846 to 1847.[1]

For other people named Charles Mason, see Charles Mason (disambiguation).

Charles Mason
Chief Justice of the Iowa Territorial Supreme Court/ Iowa Supreme Court
In office
1838–1847
Personal details
Born(1804-10-24)October 24, 1804
Pompey, New York
DiedFebruary 25, 1882(1882-02-25) (aged 77)
Burlington, Iowa
Political partyDemocratic
EducationUnited States Military Academy
OccupationJurist, businessman
Signature

However, today Mason is perhaps most remembered as the cadet who graduated first in the class of 1829 at the United States Military Academy at West Point, ahead of future Confederate Army commander Robert E. Lee. Mason and Lee were tied for the head of the class in Artillery, Tactics, and Conduct, but Mason bested Lee in all other subjects and graduated with an overall score of 1,995.5 points out of a possible 2,000, compared to Lee's 1,966.5. Mason resigned his commission in 1831, two years after graduation.

Mason and Lee also still have the two highest graduation point scores in the history of West Point. The third highest score in the Academy's history is held by Douglas MacArthur.

Later, Mason was president of the Burlington and Missouri River Railroad, from 1852 to 1853, and United States Commissioner of Patents, from 1853 to 1857. During his twice interrupted (he submitted his resignation three times 1853-7) tenure as Commissioner of Patents, Mason instituted a heretofore rare experiment in workplace diversity. He hired several women, among them Clara Barton, to work as equals to their male counterparts.[2]

He was the Democratic candidate for Governor of Iowa in 1867, but was defeated by Samuel Merrill.

Mason was a patron of the painter George Henry Yewell.[3]

Charles Mason died in Burlington, Iowa on February 25, 1882.[4]

References
  1. Brown, John Howard, ed. (1903). Lamb's Biographical Dictionary of the United States. Vol. 5. James H. Lamb Company. p. 387. Retrieved July 30, 2020 – via Google Books.
  2. Swanson, Kara W. (March 1, 2017). "Rubbing Elbows and Blowing Smoke: Gender, Class, and Science in the Nineteenth-Century Patent Office". Isis. 108 (1): 40–61. doi:10.1086/691396. ISSN 0021-1753. PMID 29897696. S2CID 48363527.
  3. David Bernard Dearinger; National Academy of Design (U.S.) (2004). Paintings and Sculpture in the Collection of the National Academy of Design: 1826-1925. Hudson Hills. ISBN 978-1-55595-029-3.
  4. "Death of Judge Charles Mason at Burlington, Iowa". Courier-Journal. Burlington. February 26, 1882. p. 4. Retrieved July 30, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
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