William G. Callow

Callow was born in Waukesha, Wisconsin and graduated from Waukesha High School.[1] He received his bachelor's and law degrees from the University of Wisconsin Madison and is a veteran of both World War II and the Korean War, serving in the United States Marine Corps in the former and in the United States Air Force in the latter.[1] Following his discharge from the Air Force, Callow served as Waukesha City Attorney from 1952 to 1960.[1] From 1961 to 1977, Callow served as a judge of the Waukesha County Court, presiding over a felony trial calendar.[2] As a county judge, Callow gained notoriety for innovations in restorative justice practices and for his general prohibition of plea bargaining.[2] In 1977, Callow was elected to a seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court vacated by Justice Robert W. Hansen, defeating Milwaukee County Circuit Court judge Robert Watson Landry.[3] Callow is the only Wisconsin county judge elected directly to the Supreme Court;[1] county courts, trial courts of limited jurisdiction, were merged with the circuit court system in 1978.

Callow's judicial philosophy on the Supreme Court was categorized as both moderate and conservative.[4][5] He served on the court until 1992, when he retired, citing a desire to "take time to smell the roses."[5] Following his retirement, Callow has served as a reserve circuit court judge, as an arbitrator for the Wisconsin Employee Relations Commission, and as a mediator.[5][1] Callow died, on March 6, 2018, in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin at AngelsGrace Hospice.[6]

• William G. Callow at Find a Grave