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Ulysses S. Webb

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Ulysses S. Webb
Webb, c. 1920s or 1930s
19th Attorney General of California
In office
September 15, 1902 – January 2, 1939[1]
Governor
See list
Preceded byTirey L. Ford
Succeeded byEarl Warren
Personal details
Born(1864-09-29)September 29, 1864
Flemington, West Virginia, U.S.
DiedJuly 31, 1947(1947-07-31) (aged 82)[2]
San Francisco, California, U.S.
Political partyRepublican

Ulysses Sigel Webb (September 29, 1864 – July 31, 1947) was an American lawyer and politician affiliated with the Republican Party. He served as the 19th Attorney General of California for the lengthy span of 37 years.[2] He was previously the District Attorney of Plumas County from 1890 to 1902. He was the longest serving attorney general in California history.

Biography

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Ulysses Sigel Webb[3][4][5] was born on September 29, 1864, in Flemington, West Virginia.[6] He was named after Ulysses S. Grant.[7] His parents were Cyrus Webb, a Civil War captain, and Eliza Cather Webb. Both were from Virginia. Webb had four brothers and two sisters. In 1869, Cyrus Webb moved the family to Kansas,[8] where Ulysses was educated.[citation needed] In the spring of 1880, he moved to Quincy, California, in Plumas County.[8] There, in 1889, he gained admittance to the State Bar of California, and was elected Plumas County District Attorney in 1890. He served in that position for 12 years, being reelected in 1892, 1896, and 1900. He resigned in September 1902.[6]

He was appointed Attorney General of California by Governor Henry T. Gage in 1902 to replace the resigning Tirey L. Ford,[9] and was elected to a full term later that year. Webb served as attorney general for 37 years, from 1902 to 1939 (9 terms), and is one of the longest-serving statewide officials in American history. He began a lengthy series of lawsuits to prove the state held title, in trust for the people of California, to tide and submerged lands, for public access and use for navigation, shipping and commerce.[2] His administration served to clarify new legislation involving elections, motor vehicles, and criminal trial procedures. (The Criminal Law Division has since exploded its workload—Webb reported in his 1914–16 Biennial Report a criminal case load of 307 appeals in two years, whereas today more than 6,000 appeals are received annually).

Webb in 1903

Webb also vigorously prosecuted land transfers made to avoid enforcement of the California Alien Land Law of 1913 that prohibited ownership of land in California by Chinese, Japanese, and other Asians who were ineligible for naturalized citizenship. In the 1930s, Webb's office pressured Fish and Game authorities to go after aliens with commercial fishermen's licenses and prevent offloading of fish at the port of San Diego.

On September 18, 1934, Judge C.N. Andrews ruled that residence requirements were a violation of the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Webb appealed to the Court of Appeals and the state Supreme Court, both of which also ruled that residence requirements violated the Fourteenth Amendment.

In 1891, California's legislature had banned all forms of gambling, including poker. However, in 1911, Webb exempted draw poker from the ban. He argued that it was "a game of science rather than a game of chance".[7]

In 1937, Webb spoke to the state's Republican Party leader, Earl Warren, stating his intention to retire. Webb chose to delay the public announcement to give Warren time to organize his campaign before other candidates. In January 1938, Webb announced his intention to step down after the election in November of that year.[10] One day before the primary election, Webb formally endorsed Warren, citing him as the "logical choice" to succeed him.[11] He was succeeded by Warren on January 2, 1939.[1]

California governor Gray Davis apologized in 2003 for Webb's zealous progressive-promoted sterilization program under the state's eugenics policy.[12]

Personal life

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During October 1895, Webb married Grace Goodwin, the daughter of Judge J. D. and Martha Goodwin of Quincy. The Webbs had three children, Hester, Sigel Goodwin and Grace.[13] Webb belonged to the Masonic,[6][13] Knights of Pythias,[13] and Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks fraternities,[6] and to the Union League Club.[6][13] He died in San Francisco on July 31, 1947.[14]

References

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  1. ^ a b "History of California Constitutional Officeholders" (PDF). California State Portal (.gov). Retrieved 2024-05-03.
  2. ^ a b c "Ulysses S. Webb, 19th Attorney General". State of California Department of Justice. Retrieved 2019-02-09.
  3. ^ "CALIFORNIA: After Tar & Feather". Time. 1936-08-31. Retrieved 2024-04-04.
  4. ^ Cray 1997, p. 71.
  5. ^ Irvine 1903, p. 355.
  6. ^ a b c d e Bates, J. C. (1912). History of the Bench and Bar of California. Bench and Bar Publishing Company. p. 545.
  7. ^ a b McManus, James. Cowboys Full: The Story of Poker. Farrar, Straus, and Giroux. p. 272. ISBN 978-0-374-29924-8.
  8. ^ a b Irvine 1903, p. 356
  9. ^ "Governor Gage Appoints New Attorney General". Enterprise. 1902-09-16. Retrieved 2024-05-02. Via the California Digital Newspaper Collection.
  10. ^ Cray 1997, p. 90.
  11. ^ Cray 1997, p. 93.
  12. ^ Davis, Gray; Lockyer, Bill (2003-03-11). "Governor Davis Makes Statement On Eugenics". State of California: Office of the Attorney General. Retrieved 2014-11-12.
  13. ^ a b c d Irvine 1903, p. 357
  14. ^ "Attorney Webb Taken By Death". Madera Tribune. 1947-07-31. Retrieved 2024-04-03. Via the California Digital Newspaper Collection

Bibliography

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Legal offices
Preceded by California Attorney General
1902–1939 		Succeeded by
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