FRANK HAMILTON SHORT

Los Angeles County

Biographies

FRANK HAMILTON SHORT

SHORT, FRANK HAMILTON, Attorney at Law, Fresno, California, was born in Shelby County, Missouri, September 12, 1862, the son of Joshua Hamilton Bell Short and Emily (Wharton) Short. He has been twice married, his second wife being Nellie Curtis, whom he married at Los Angeles, California, March 7, 1897. He has a son, Frank H. Short, Jr., by his former marriage. Judge Short is descended of a family noted in the literary and legal history of the country, its various branches having settled in Delaware, Pennsylvania and other States. Mrs. Shirt is related to several of the most prominent families in Southern California.

Judge Short attended the public schools of Missouri and Nebraska, in which State he resided from 1872 to 1881, and upon moving to California in the latter year attended private institutions. For four months prior to moving to the Pacific Coast Judge Short had been a school teacher and for about eight months, at a later date, he taught in Fresno. About this time he took up the study of law.

In 1882, at twenty-two years of age, Judge Short was elected Justice of the Peace in Fresno and the following year was admitted to the practice of law in the State courts of California. He was admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of the United States in 1901.

From the age of 25 to 35 years, Judge Short had a successful general practice in Fresno, and appeared in numerous criminal cases, among the most important being “People vs. Richard Heath.” “People vs. J. D. Smith,” “People vs. Saunders” and others. He also took part in a large number of civil actions and for many years past has been one of the leading counsel in irrigation, light, power and other corporation actions.

Judge Short was retained as special counsel for the State in the “Fresno Rates Case,” also the “Oil Rates Case,” two litigations which had an important bearing upon the commercial development of California. He also represented the oil operators of California in the “Scrippers Case,” going before the Interior Department, also the various Federal courts, including the United States Supreme Court, and finally won a victory for his clients, the case having involved title to a large percentage of the oil-bearing lands in California.

Judge Short also represented the oil producers of the State when he appeared before Congress in 1910 as Chairman of the California Oil Men’s Delegation and his work in this capacity resulted in the passage of the “Oil Relief Bill,” a remedial act of 1911 permitting the issuance of patents to corporations and other assignees of oil land locators.

He has also had a prominent part in water litigation for the Fresno Canal Company and other large concerns, including the Miller & Lux Company. He has represented various other irrigation and electric power corporations in court and before Congress.

Since 1900 Judge Short has opposed the extreme conservation ideas of Theodore Roosevelt, Gifford Pinchot and others and has appeared before Congress and in public debate in support of his contentions. He represented his clients before Congress on questions involving Federal control and the uses of the public land and appeared in debate before various public gatherings, including the Irrigation Congresses and the Conservation Congress of 1910. He met Theodore Roosevelt, former President of the United States, in debate before the Commonwealth Club of San Francisco in 1911. In all of his public debates and addresses, Judge Short has advocated that procedure along the lines of Constitutional principles and settled legal rights is not only required, but more beneficial that departures along inconsistent lines, especially objecting to all attempts to assert Federal authority in purely State matters. His published writings also have been along these lines.

Judge Short has been a consistent and active supporter of the Republican party, and during his residence in California has been one of the most substantial workers for it.

From 1888 down to the present time he has been a delegate or an officer of nearly every State Convention of his party and on frequent occasions has been a delegate to the National Conventions. He was sent to St. Louis in 1896, when William McKinley was nominated for the Presidency, and to Chicago in 1904, when Theodore Roosevelt received the nomination. He has also been honored in other ways by his party, among which was his attendance at the White House Conference of Governors in 1908. In addition, he has taken part in the work of the National Geographical Society, the National Civic Federation and various commercial organizations. He was Commissioner of Yosemite Park from 1898 until 1906 and Trustee of the San Jose Normal School for four years.

Judge Short is interested in several important industrial companies in California, being a director, officer or attorney for them. He is Vice President and Director of the Fresno Canal & Irrigation Company, also of the Consolidated Canal Company. He is a Director of the Fresno National Bank, the Fresno Hotel Company and of numerous oil and canal companies.

His clubs are the Sequoia and Fresno Country Club of Fresno; Pacific Union, Bohemian and Union League of San Francisco. He is also a member of the Masonic fraternity.

Transcribed 6-9-08 Marilyn R. Pankey.

Source: Press Reference Library, Western Edition Notables of the West, Vol. I, Page 61, International News Service, New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Boston, Atlanta. 1913.

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