WILLIAM ATWELL CHENEY

Los Angeles County

Biographies

WILLIAM ATWELL CHENEY

CHENEY, WILLIAM ATWELL, Counselor-at-Law (ex-Judge Superior Court), Los Angeles, California, was born in Boston, Massachusetts, February 18, 1848, the son of Benjamin Franklin Cheney and Martha (Whitney) Cheney. In 1871, at New Haven, Connecticut, he married Anna E. Skinner, of that city, and to them there was born a son, Harvey D. Cheney, now a practicing attorney in Los Angeles. Judge Cheney is descended of notable New England stock, the members of his family on both sides having been distinguished in the history of Massachusetts.

Judge Cheney was educated in public schools and private academies of Boston and was trained for the ministry. He preached for a while after graduating, but soon discovered that was not his vocation and gave it up to study law. Judge Cheney’s education was interrupted when he was eighteen years of age by failing health. He left school for a year and spent the time on a trading vessel.

He made his first trip to California in the latter part of 1867, but after remaining about three years, returned to Boston. In 1875 he again went to California and has made his home there since.

He first located in San Francisco, then settled in Plumas County and prosecuted his law studies. He was admitted to the bar shortly after his arrival and in 1877 was elected Judge of Plumas County. He remained on the bench until the old Constitution was changed and the new district created, in 1880, and was then elected to the State Senate from the district Plumas, Butte and Lassen counties. He served in the Senate for three sessions and during that time was a member of the Judiciary Committee, having in charge the revision of the legal codes. He was at this time also in partnership with Creed Hammond of Sacramento.

In 1882, before the expiration of his term as State Senator, Judge Cheney moved to Los Angeles and there took up the practice of his profession. He also took an active part in politics and stumped the southern part of the State in behalf of the national Republican party. Shortly after his arrival in Los Angeles he was elected a member of the Board of Education and served for a year. He was at this time in partnership with Lieutenant Governor John Mansfield of California.

In 1884 Judge Cheney was elected to the Superior Bench of Los Angeles County. He and Judge Anson Brunson were the only judges at that time and, incidentally, the only Republicans who had been elected to the Los Angeles Count Bench up to that period. Judge Cheney had charge of the criminal department of the court and for six years administered justice in such manner that his name stands among the most honored in the history of California jurisprudence.

In 1891 Judge Cheney retired from the bench to re-enter private practice and became associated with Cornelius Cronin. Shortly afterward he was chosen Chief Counsel for the Los Angeles Gas and Electric Corporation and subsidiary companies and has served down to date.

Judge Cheney has been one of the staunchest supporters of the Republican party in the West for more than a quarter of a century, and, as one of the powerful orators in its ranks, has spoken in dozens of campaigns. He was a prominent figure in State, county and district conventions from his entry into politics until press of private business prevented longer an active political life.

He has a philosophy which he has put into practice. It is that a man, to be a successful counselor to others, should “know everything about some things and something about every thing.” He believes that whatever intellectual power any man may have, whether small or great, it may double itself by rest acquired through a process of alternation. Judge Cheney has exemplified this philosophy by turning his energies to other directions than those in which he temporarily wearied. He is, therefore, no stranger in the field of painting, sculpture and science. It is for this professional and philosophic reason and because he believes in getting as much out of life as life has for a man’s mind, that his life, despite his public and semi-public activities, has been that of a student. He has devoted much time to the study and discussion of scientific subjects, including biology, philosophy and sociology. He has been a prolific writer on these and legal matters, one of his principal works being a brief in book form, entitled “Can We Be Sure of Mortality.”

Judge Cheney stands at the top of his profession, is a member of the Los Angeles Bar Association and a Fellow of the Academy of Sciences. He also is lecturer on Constitutional Law at the University of Southern California Law School.

Transcribed 6-21-08 Marilyn R. Pankey.

Source: Press Reference Library, Western Edition Notables of the West, Vol. I, Page 75, International News Service, New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Boston, Atlanta. 1913.

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