WILLIAM MARTIN ABBOTT

San Francisco County

Biographies

WILLIAM MARTIN ABBOTT

ABBOTT, WILLIAM MARTIN, General Attorney for the United Railroads, San Francisco, California, was born in that city, March 17, 1872, the son of William Abbott and Annabell Casselman Abbott. Descending from a race of Devonshire lawyers, in whose blood the fighting strain was especially prominent in Mr. Abbott’s grandfather, who fought under Wellington, he has remained true to his traditions, and furnished fairly strong evidence that heredity is still a potent force.

Mr. Abbott was married in San Francisco, August 3, 1895, to Miss Anna Josephine MacVean, and is the father of two sons, William Lindley Abbott and Tirey Casselman Abbott.

The John Swett Grammar School, 1887; the Boys’ High School, 1890, and the Hastings College of the Law, 1893, were his successive graduating mile-posts.

Immediately upon his final graduation, with the degree of Bachelor of Laws, and when he was just of age, Mr. Abbott began the practice of his profession. For two years he met with encouraging success. In 1895 Mr. Cross, in whose office he had supplemented his studies while he was a law student, made him a member of the firm of Cross, Ford, Kelley and Abbott.

On the dissolution of this firm two years later Mr. Abbott resumed his individual practice, but in 1898 Tirey L. Ford, who had become Attorney General of California, appointed him Deputy Attorney General. He was placed in charge of the opinion department, a quasi-judicial post that offered a splendid opportunity for brilliant work and invaluable experience. Here he had to deal with requests for opinions from the Governor, State officers and institutions, the district attorneys of the State and other similar sources. During his term of office he played a prominent part in the Atlantic and Pacific Tax Cases, following them to the United States Supreme Court, and attracted flattering attention by his able handling of them.

In 1902 Mr. Abbott became Assistant General Counsel for the United Railroads. He was one of the attorneys for Brown Brothers, the Baltimore syndicate which purchased the properties now owned by the United Railroads, and was active in the consolidation of all the street railways.

Shortly after the big fire in 1906 Mr. Abbott was associated with the defense in the so-called graft prosecution, wherein his legal knowledge and judgment materially aided the preparation of his clients’ cases. In 1910 he was appointed General Attorney for the United Railroads.

He is president of the Market Street Railway Company, the San Francisco and San Mateo Electric Railway Company, the Metropolitan Railway Company, and is vice president of the South San Francisco Railroad and power Company and a director of the United Railroads Company.

Until recent years he was very active politically and has been a delegate to all of the Republican State and local conventions.

Mr. Abbott’s club and social activities are wide and varied. He is a member of the National Geographical Society, the American Academy of Political and Social Sciences, the Academy of Pacific Coast History, and is treasurer and ex-vice president of the California Historical Landmark League. He belongs to the Union League, the Bohemian Club, the California Tennis Club and to the B.P.O. Elks, of which last he is Past Exalted Ruler. He has filled all the offices of the local lodge of the N.S.G.W. and is at present a member of Stanford Parlor No. 76, N.S.G.W. He is a member of California Lodge No. 1, F. & A.M., California Chapter No. 5, R.A.M. Knights Templar, California Commandery No. 1; a Mystic Shriner and a member of the legal fraternity, the Phi Delta Phi.

Transcribed by Vicky Walker, 1/26/07.

Source: Press Reference Library, Western Edition Notables of the West, Vol. I, Page 623, International News Service, New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Boston, Atlanta. 1913.

California Biography Project

San Francisco County

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