San Francisco County
Biographies
GEORGE
EDWARD CROTHERS
George Edward Crothers, attorney,
was born May 27,1870, in Wapello, Iowa. The son of John and
Margaret Jane (Fair).
His preparatory education was
obtained at Stanford University where he received the degree of A.B. in 1895
and the degree of A.M. in 1896.
Mr. Crothers was one of the
attorneys of record for the Fair Trustees during protracted litigation,
1899-1902, and had personal charge of the forgery branch of same. Jointly with
his brother he wrote and caused to be passed by legislature, 1899, and by
people, 1900, an amendment to the State Constitution enabling the correction of
defects in the organization and grants of Stanford University, the extension of
corporate powers to its trustees, and the perfecting of its titles; also
several acts of Legislature to the same end. He represented Mrs. Stanford and
trustees in amendment, confirmation and legal validation and construction of
university grants and trusts, and during late years of her life was sole
trustee of property valued at several million dollars, which Mrs. Stanford
provided should go to the university through him upon her death.
Mr. Crothers was appointed Judge of
Superior Court, San Francisco, in 1913 and re-elected in 1914; he retired from
the bench in 1921 and resumed law practice.
He was first alumni trustee of
Stanford University, 1902-12 (secretary and assistant treasurer, also manager
of trustees, 1902-08); one of five trustees of Stanford Kindergarten Trust;
president of General Alumni Association (Stanford University), 1899-1900 and
1913-14; trustee of San Francisco Boys’ Club, Inc. He financed the building of
Crothers Hall, a law school dormitory at Stanford University, and installed
therein a law library of over six thousand volumes, 1946-48.
Life member of the American Law
Institute; member of American Historical Association; American Political
Science Association; National Economic League; National Municipal League;
Seismological Society of America; Sigma Nu and Phi Delta Phi fraternities.
He was chairman of Independent
Republicans, San Francisco, 1909-12, and Republican County Chairman, 1912-13.
Belongs to the Episcopalian Church; and is a member of the following clubs:
University, Pacific-Union, Monterey Peninsula, Menlo Country, Commercial,
Stanford Faculty, and Commonwealth.
Mr. Crothers married Elizabeth Mills
on March 23, 1911 (died August 18, 1920).
Residence: 1000 California Street, San Francisco 6,
California.
Offices: 315 Montgomery Street, San Francisco 4,
California.
Transcribed By: Cecelia M. Setty.
Source: “Eminent Californians 1953”,
by Lee E. Johnson & C. W. Taylor. Pages 51-52, C. W.
Taylor Publ., Palo Alto, California, 1953.
© 2013 Cecelia M. Setty.
San Francisco County Biographies