Myron L. Gordon

Myron L. Gordon (February 11, 1918 – November 3, 2009) was an American lawyer and jurist from Kenosha, Wisconsin. He was a United States district judge for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, serving from 1967 until taking senior status in 1983. He previously served five years as a justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court, and was a Wisconsin circuit court judge for seven years in Milwaukee County.

Myron L. Gordon
Senior Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin
In office
February 12, 1983 – November 3, 2009
Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin
In office
March 4, 1967 – February 12, 1983
Appointed byLyndon B. Johnson
Preceded bySeat established by 80 Stat. 75
Succeeded byThomas John Curran
Justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court
In office
January 1, 1962 – March 4, 1967
Preceded byJohn E. Martin
Succeeded byConnor Hansen
Judge of the Wisconsin 2nd Circuit, Branch 3
In office
January 4, 1955 – January 1, 1962
Preceded byElmer W. Roller
Succeeded byJohn A. Decker
Personal details
Born(1918-02-11)February 11, 1918
Kenosha, Wisconsin, U.S.
DiedNovember 3, 2009(2009-11-03) (aged 91)
Palm Desert, California, U.S.
Spouses
  • Ruth Peggy Siesel
    ​
    ​
    (m. 1942; died 1973)​
  • Myra
Children3
EducationUniversity of Wisconsin (BA, MA)
Harvard University (LLB)
ProfessionLawyer, judge

Education and career

Born in Kenosha, Wisconsin, Gordon received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Wisconsin in 1939 and a Master of Arts degree from the same institution in 1939. He received a Bachelor of Laws from Harvard Law School in 1942. He was Lieutenant in the United States Naval Reserve from 1944 to 1946. He was in private practice in Milwaukee from 1945 to 1950. He was a civil court judge in Milwaukee County from 1950 to 1954. He ran unsuccessfully for a Wisconsin circuit court judgeship in 1953, losing to Leo B. Hanley.[1] He ran again the following year, and this time defeated incumbent judge Elmer W. Roller.[2] He served a full six-year term as circuit judge and was re-elected in 1960.[3]

In 1961, he sought election to the Wisconsin Supreme Court in the seat being vacated by the retirement of chief justice John E. Martin. Gordon survived the nonpartisan primary in March 1961, and went on to face former state attorney general Stewart G. Honeck in the general election. Gordon prevailed with 52% of the vote in the April general election.[3][4][5]

Federal judicial service

Gordon was nominated by President Lyndon B. Johnson on January 16, 1967, to the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, to a new seat created by 80 Stat. 75. He was confirmed by the United States Senate on March 2, 1967, and received his commission on March 4, 1967. He assumed senior status on February 12, 1983. He served in that status until his death on November 3, 2009, in Palm Desert, California.[6][7][5]

Personal life and family

Myron Gordon was a son of Jewish immigrants Samuel R. and Janet (née Ruppa) Gordon. His father was born in Poland and his mother was born in Russia.[8] Myron had one older brother, Norvan, who was a medical doctor in Milwaukee County.[9]

Myron Gordon married Ruth Peggy Siesel on August 16, 1942.[10] They had three children together before her death from post-surgical complications in 1973.[11] Gordon subsequently remarried, and was survived by his second wife, Myra.[4]

Electoral history

Wisconsin Circuit Court (1953)
Wisconsin Circuit Courts, 2nd Circuit, Branch 1 Election, 1953[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
General Election, April 7, 1953
Nonpartisan Leo B. Hanley 105,303 51.41%
Nonpartisan Myron L. Gordon 99,546 48.59%
Plurality 5,757 2.81%
Total votes 204,849 100.0%

Wisconsin Circuit Court (1954, 1960)
Wisconsin Circuit Courts, 2nd Circuit, Branch 3 Election, 1954[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
General Election, April 6, 1954
Nonpartisan Myron L. Gordon 98,900 63.91%
Nonpartisan Elmer W. Roller (incumbent) 55,837 36.09%
Plurality 43,063 27.83%
Total votes 154,737 100.0%
Wisconsin Circuit Courts, 2nd Circuit, Branch 3 Election, 1960[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
General Election, April 5, 1960
Nonpartisan Myron L. Gordon 246,695 100.0%
Total votes 246,695 100.0%

Wisconsin Supreme Court (1961)
Wisconsin Supreme Court Election, 1961[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Nonpartisan Primary, March 7, 1961
Nonpartisan Stewart G. Honeck 177,890 51.21%
Nonpartisan Myron L. Gordon 145,270 41.82%
Nonpartisan Christ Alexopoulos 24,230 6.97%
Total votes 347,390 100.0%
General Election, April 4, 1961
Nonpartisan Myron L. Gordon 399,408 52.16%
Nonpartisan Stewart G. Honeck 366,390 47.84%
Plurality 33,018 4.31%
Total votes 765,798 100.0%

See also

References
  1. Toepel, M. G.; Kuehn, Hazel L., eds. (1954). "Parties and Elections". The Wisconsin Blue Book 1954 (Report). Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau. p. 773. Retrieved April 8, 2023.
  2. Toepel, M. G.; Kuehn, Hazel L., eds. (1954). "Addenda". The Wisconsin Blue Book 1954 (Report). Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau. p. 781. Retrieved April 8, 2023.
  3. "Wisconsin Elections". The Wisconsin Blue Book 1962 (Report). Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau. 1962. pp. 870, 871, 872. Retrieved April 8, 2023.
  4. "Former Justices - Justice Myron L. Gordon". Wisconsin Court System. Retrieved October 14, 2023.
  5. Myron L. Gordon at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a public domain publication of the Federal Judicial Center.
  6. "Former justice Myron L. Gordon remembered as 'top-notch' jurist". Wisconsin Court System.
  7. Don Walker (November 4, 2009). "Gordon ruled in Milwaukee 14 case". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved January 16, 2018.
  8. "Janet Ruppa Gordon". The Wisconsin Jewish Chronicle. August 11, 1967. p. 2. Retrieved October 14, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. "Samuel R. Gordon". The Wisconsin Jewish Chronicle. October 9, 1975. p. 19. Retrieved October 14, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. "Siesel-Gordon". The Capital Times. August 18, 1942. p. 8. Retrieved October 14, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. "Mrs. Peggy Gordon". The Wisconsin Jewish Chronicle. March 30, 1973. p. 16. Retrieved October 14, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.

Sources
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