William J. Mills
William J. Mills | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 19th Governor of New Mexico Territory | |
| In office March 1, 1910 – January 15, 1912 | |
| Nominated by | William H. Taft |
| Preceded by | George Curry |
| Succeeded by | William C. McDonald as state Governor |
| Chief Justice of the New Mexico Territorial Supreme Court | |
| In office January 31, 1898 – January 30, 1910 | |
| Nominated by | William McKinley, Theodore Roosevelt |
| Preceded by | Thomas W. Smith |
| Succeeded by | William H. Pope |
| Personal details | |
| Born | January 11, 1849 Yazoo City, Mississippi, U.S. |
| Died | December 24, 1915 (aged 66) Las Vegas, New Mexico, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic/Republican |
| Spouse | Alice Waddingham |
| Signature |  |
William Joseph Mills (January 11, 1849 – December 24, 1915) was an American jurist who served three terms as the chief justice of the New Mexico Territorial Supreme Court and as the nineteenth and final Governor of New Mexico Territory.
Background
[edit]Mills was born in Yazoo City, Mississippi on January 11, 1849, to William and Harriet (Beale) Mills.[1][2] His father died when he was young and his mother relocated the family to Connecticut where she married William H. Law.[3][4][5][6] Mills was educated at the Norwich Free Academy.[7] He worked briefly in New York City before enrolling at Yale University and graduating from the law school in 1877. Mills was admitted to the bar the same year he graduated and set up a private practice in New Haven, Connecticut.[1]
Soon after graduation, Mills became active in politics and identified with the Democratic Party.[1][8] He was elected to the Connecticut House of Representatives in 1878 and Connecticut Senate in 1881 and 1882.[1] Mills wed Alice Waddingham of West Haven, Connecticut on January 14, 1885.[7] The marriage produced three children: Wilson W., Alice L. and Madeline.[1][9][10]
New Mexico
[edit]Mills moved to New Mexico Territory, where his father-in-law, Wilson Waddingham, owned significant tracts of land, and established a legal practice in 1886.[1][8][9][10] From August 1888 till April 1890 he was partnered with Thomas B. Catron, an influential member of the territory's Republican Party.[1] Mills returned to New Haven in 1894.[11]
President William McKinley nominated Mills to become chief justice of the New Mexico Territorial Supreme Court with the commissioning occurring on January 31, 1898.[12] At the time of his nomination, Mills was a Gold Democrat but soon after switched his party affiliation and became a Republican.[8] Upon completion of his first term, President Theodore Roosevelt twice reappointed the chief justice for additional terms.[12]
Governorship
[edit]After Governor George Curry submitted his resignation, President William H. Taft nominated Mills to become Governor of New Mexico Territory.[8] According to Curry, Taft found the chief justice's judicial background and conservative outlook attractive and viewed the nominee as a potential governor or U.S. senator if the territory should achieve statehood.[11] Mills accepted the offer on November 24, 1909.[13] The new governor was sworn in on March 1, 1910, as per the terms of his predecessor's resignation.[14]
Upon taking office, Mills began lobbying efforts aimed at achieving statehood for New Mexico.[11] With the signing of the enabling act on June 20, 1910, his activities switched to preparations for statehood.[15] An election of representatives for a constitutional convention was called for September 6, with the convention to draw up a state constitution running from October 3 until November 21, 1910.[16] The resulting document lacked many progressive reforms of the days, such as women's suffrage, and Mills was left to defend the document until it was approved by President Taft in August 1911.[11]
Mills called for election of new state office holders in November 1911.[11] New Mexico was admitted as a state on January 6, 1912, with Mills leaving office at noon on January 15, 1912, as William C. McDonald took the oath of office as the new state governor.[17]
Later life
[edit]After leaving office, Mills made an unsuccessful run for a U.S. Senate seat in 1912. He died in East Las Vegas, New Mexico on December 24, 1915.[11]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f g McMullin & Walker, p. 259
- ^ "United States Census, 1850", database with images, FamilySearch, October 29, 2019, William J Mills in household of William Mills, Yazoo county, Yazoo, Mississippi, United States; citing family 733, NARA microfilm publication M432 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.). (subscription required)
- ^ "Connecticut Marriages, 1630-1997", database, FamilySearch, March 16, 2018, William Law and Harriet B Mills, 1855. (subscription required)
- ^ "United States Census, 1860", database with images, FamilySearch, December 13, 2017, Wm J Mills in entry for William H Law, 1860. (subscription required)
- ^ "United States Census, 1870", database with images, FamilySearch, June 8, 2019, William U Mills, 1870. (subscription required)
- ^ "United States Census, 1880", database with images, FamilySearch, August 22, 2017, William Mills in household of William H Law, New Haven, New Haven, Connecticut, United States; citing enumeration district ED 72, sheet 318D, NARA microfilm publication T9 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), FHL microfilm 1,254,105. (subscription required)
- ^ a b Anderson, p. 307
- ^ a b c d Twitchell, p. 566
- ^ a b "United States Census, 1900", database with images, FamilySearch, accessed February 13, 2020, Wm J Mills, Precincts 29 East Las Vegas Las Vegas City, San Miguel, New Mexico Territory, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 113, sheet 12A, family 286, NARA microfilm publication T623 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1972.); FHL microfilm 1,241,002. (subscription required)
- ^ a b "United States Census, 1910" database with images, FamilySearch, accessed February 13, 2020, William J Mills, Las Vegas Ward 4, San Miguel, New Mexico, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 200, sheet 24A, family 189, NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1982), roll 917; FHL microfilm 1,374,930. (subscription required)
- ^ a b c d e f McMullin & Walker, p. 260
- ^ a b Anderson, p. 308
- ^ "Taft Makes Mills Governor". New York Times. November 25, 1909. p. 18.
- ^ Prince, p. 216
- ^ Prince, pp. 216–217
- ^ Prince, p. 217
- ^ Prince, pp. 218–219
- Anderson, George B. (1907). History of New Mexico: its resources and people. Vol. 1. Los Angeles: Pacific States Pub. Co. OCLC 1692911.
- McMullin, Thomas A.; Walker, David (1984). Biographical Directory of American Territorial Governors. Westport, CT: Meckler Publishing. ISBN 0-930466-11-X.
- Prince, L. Bradford (1912). A concise history of New Mexico. Cedar Rapids, Ia.: The Torch Press. p. 216. OCLC 8570421.
William Mills.
- Twitchell, Ralph Emerson (1912). The leading facts of New Mexican history. Vol. 2. Cedar Rapids, Ia.: The Torch Press. OCLC 14987171.
| U.S. Military Admin (1846–1851) |  | |
|---|---|---|
| U.S. Territory (1851–1912) | ||
| State (since 1912) | ||
| International | |
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| National | |
| Other | |
- Governors of New Mexico Territory
- New Mexico Territory judges
- Members of the Connecticut House of Representatives
- Connecticut state senators
- 1849 births
- 1915 deaths
- Justices of the New Mexico Supreme Court
- People from Yazoo City, Mississippi
- Yale Law School alumni
- Connecticut lawyers
- Connecticut Democrats
- New Mexico Democrats
- New Mexico Republicans
- 19th-century American judges
- 19th-century American lawyers
- 19th-century members of the Connecticut General Assembly