Orsamus Cole

The Honorable
Orsamus R. Cole
6th Chief Justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court
In office
November 11, 1880 – January 4, 1892
Appointed byWilliam E. Smith
Preceded byEdward George Ryan
Succeeded byWilliam P. Lyon
Justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court
In office
June 1, 1855 – January 4, 1892
Preceded bySamuel Crawford
Succeeded bySilas U. Pinney
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Wisconsin's 2nd district
In office
March 4, 1849 – March 3, 1851
Preceded byMason C. Darling
Succeeded byBen C. Eastman
Personal details
Born(1819-08-23)August 23, 1819
DiedMay 5, 1903(1903-05-05) (aged 83)
Resting placeForest Hill Cemetery
Madison, Wisconsin
Party
Spouses
  • Julia A. Houghton
    (m. 1848; died 1874)
  • Roberta C. Noe Garnhart
    (m. 1879; died 1884)
Children
  • Sidney H. Cole
  • Orsamus Cole
Parents
  • Hymeneus Cole (father)
  • Sarah Salisbury (mother)
Alma materUnion College
ProfessionLawyer
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Orsamus R. Cole (August 23, 1819 – May 5, 1903) was an American lawyer, judge, and Wisconsin pioneer. He served as the 6th chief justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court, and, until 2013, was the longest-serving justice in the Court's history, with nearly 37 years on the high court (1855–1892). He also represented Wisconsin's 2nd congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives for the 31st Congress (1849–1851). Before Wisconsin's statehood, Cole served as a delegate to the constitutional convention which drafted the Constitution of Wisconsin. His name is frequently misspelled as "Orasmus".