Oscar M. Fritz

The Honorable Oscar M. Fritz
Fritz circa 1940
14th Chief Justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court
In office January 1950 – January 1, 1954
Preceded by	Marvin B. Rosenberry
Succeeded by	Edward T. Fairchild
Justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court
In office May 28, 1929 – January 1, 1954
Appointed by	Walter J. Kohler
Preceded by	Christian Doerfler
Succeeded by	Roland J. Steinle
Wisconsin Circuit Court Judge for the 2nd Circuit, Branch 2
In office June 3, 1912 – May 28, 1929
Appointed by	Francis E. McGovern
Preceded by	Warren D. Tarrant
Succeeded by	Daniel W. Sullivan
Personal details
Born	Oscar Marion Fritz (1878-03-03)March 3, 1878 Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S.
Died	October 5, 1957(1957-10-05) (aged 79) Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Cause of death	Stroke
Resting place	Forest Home Cemetery, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Spouses	Ena B. Lorch ​ ​ (m. 1902; died 1945)​ Anna M. Millmann ​ ​ (m. 1947⁠–⁠1957)​
Children	Marion Theodore Fritz (b. 1908; died 1976) Norma Louise (Mortonson) (b. 1914; died 1982)
Parent	Theodore Fritz (father)
Alma mater	Milwaukee Law School University of Wisconsin Law School
Profession	lawyer, judge

Oscar Marion Fritz (March 3, 1878 – October 5, 1957) was an American lawyer and jurist from the U.S. state of Wisconsin. He was the 14th Chief Justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court, serving a total of 25 years on the high court. Prior to that, he served 17 years as a Wisconsin circuit court judge in Milwaukee County.

Biography

Born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to German American immigrants Theodore Fritz and Dora Fritz (née Glatz). During his childhood, his father served four years (1887–1891) in the Wisconsin State Senate, representing part of the city of Milwaukee as a member of the socialist Peoples' Party.

Fritz was educated in Milwaukee Public Schools and studied law through the Milwaukee Law School, a student-owned cooperative which provided night school law classes from volunteer instructors. He went on to attend the University of Wisconsin Law School in Madison, Wisconsin, where he graduated in 1901.

From 1901 through 1912, Fritz practiced law in Milwaukee in partnership with Theodore Kronshage, Francis E. McGovern, Guy D. Goff, Walter D. Corrigan, and Timothy J. Hannan. In June 1912, Fritz was appointed Wisconsin circuit court judge by his former law partner, Governor Francis McGovern, to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Judge Warren D. Tarrant. His appointment was confirmed by election the following spring, and he was elected to a full term in 1917. He was subsequently re-elected in 1923 and 1929.

In May 1929, just after his circuit court re-election, Judge Fritz was appointed to the Wisconsin Supreme Court by Governor Walter J. Kohler. He was elected to a full term in 1934, and was subsequently re-elected in 1944. In 1950, with the retirement of Chief Justice Marvin B. Rosenberry, he became the most-senior serving member of the high court, and thus became the 14th chief justice. In 1953, Justice Fritz announced he would not run for another term in 1954. Later that year, he announced he would resign effective January 1, 1954, with a full year left before the end of his term.

Judge Fritz was hospitalized in Milwaukee after a stroke and died there on October 5, 1957.

Personal life and family

Oscar Fritz married Ena B. Lorch in 1902. They had two children together, Marion (Mar) Theodore and Norma Louise. Ena died in 1945, and, two years later, Judge Fritz married Anna Marie Millmann of Milwaukee, who was then a member of the board of directors of the Marquette University Alumni Association.

He was survived by his second wife and by both children from his first marriage. He was cremated and interred alongside his first wife at Milwaukee's historic Forest Home Cemetery.

External links

• Oscar Marion Fritz at Find a Grave