Douglass Boardman
Douglass Boardman | |
|---|---|
| Born | Template:Birth date Covert, Seneca County, New York, U.S. |
| Died | September 5, 1891 (aged 68) Sheldrake, Seneca County, New York, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Legal professional, jurist, law school dean |
| Known for | Justice of the New York Supreme Court; Dean of Cornell Law School |
Douglass Boardman (October 31, 1822 – September 5, 1891) was a distinguished American legal professional and jurist who served on the New York Supreme Court and held the position of Dean at Cornell Law School.
Biography
Born on October 31, 1822, in Covert, Seneca County, New York, Boardman was the youngest among twelve siblings. He initially attended Hobart College before completing his degree at Yale College in 1842.
Following his graduation, Boardman pursued legal studies in Ithaca, New York. After a brief residence in Trumansburg, he established his permanent home in Ithaca by 1846. He gained admission to the bar in 1845. His early career included serving as District Attorney for Tompkins County beginning in 1848, followed by roles as County Judge and Surrogate starting in 1852. Between 1856 and 1866, he was in law partnership with Hon. Francis M. Finch.
In 1865, Boardman was elected to an eight-year term as justice of the New York Supreme Court and later secured an uncontested re-election for a fourteen-year tenure. His involvement extended to finance, where he was a founding director of the First National Bank of Ithaca from 1864 and elevated to its presidency in 1884.
Boardman served as a trustee of Cornell University from 1875, with a reappointment in 1885. In 1889, he was named dean of the newly formed Cornell Law School, playing an instrumental role in its growth. Additionally, he managed important local trusts and acted as executor for notable estates including those of Mr. McGraw and Mrs. Fiske.
His life concluded on September 5, 1891, at Sheldrake in Seneca County after a short illness caused by pneumonia.
On May 27, 1846, he married Amanda M. Vincent from Ithaca. She survived him along with their sole offspring, a daughter.
Boardman House
From 1886 until 1911, Boardman lived in an Italianate-style townhouse located at 120 East Buffalo Street near DeWitt Park. In 1911, the residence was acquired by the Ithaca Conservatory of Music, which later became known as Ithaca College.
Boardman Hall
In tribute to Boardman’s legacy, Cornell University named its new law building Boardman Hall in 1893; the structure was designed by architect William Henry Miller. His widow and daughter contributed a collection of 12,415 volumes to form a law library regarded at the time as one of the most comprehensive worldwide. Boardman Hall was razed in 1959 to allow construction of Olin Library, which preserved several sculpted stone heads originally part of Boardman Hall’s architecture.