James M. Dolliver

Dolliver was born and raised in Fort Dodge, Iowa.[1] His mother, Elizabeth Morgent, died of polio when he was a newborn.[1] He graduated high school in 1942 and then joined the Navy Air Corps.[1][2] In 1944, Dolliver's father, James I. Dolliver, a University of Chicago-trained lawyer, was elected to Congress from the Sixth District of Iowa, serving in the House of Representatives for twelve years. A great-uncle, Jonathan P. Dolliver, had been a United States Senator from Iowa from 1900 to 1910.

After the end of World War II, Dolliver enrolled at Swarthmore College, and graduated in 1949. He received a LL.B. from the University of Washington School of Law in 1952.[3]

Dolliver took up private practice in Port Angeles and later in Everett. In 1953, Dolliver became the administrative assistant to Congressman Jack Westland (R-Everett), then became an attorney for the state House Republicans.[4] In 1964, Dolliver managed the campaign of Daniel J. Evans, who was elected governor.[3] Dolliver became Evan's chief of staff and political advisor. On May 6, 1976, Evans appointed Dolliver to the Supreme Court.[5] On January 14, 1985, he was sworn in as its new Chief Justice.[6] Soon after a re-election in 1992, Dolliver suffered a severe stroke in January 1993, but was able to continue working. In 1998, Dolliver announced he would retire at the end of his term.[7]

In 1992, an amendment to the State Constitution to include a "victim's rights" provision drew Dolliver's criticism on the grounds the constitution protects individuals against the government, but not the actions of other people.[8]

In 1993, Dolliver received the "Outstanding Judge of the Year" award from the Washington State Bar.[9]

In 2000, an endowed professorship was named in honor of Dolliver at the University of Puget Sound, for which he had served as a trustee.[10]

Dolliver married Barbara Jean Babcock (January 28, 1927 – July 10, 2013), whom he met at Swarthmore, and they had six children.[11][12] Dolliver died on November 24, 2004.

• Dolliver, James M. (1900). "Law As A Profession, Will it Survive?". Gonzaga Law Review. 26: 267.
• Dolliver, James M. (1989). "Condemnation, Credit, and Corporations in Washington: 100 Years of Judicial Decisions—Have the Framers' Views Been Followed?". Seattle University Law Review. 12 (2): 163.
• Dolliver, James (1986). "The Washington Constitution and State Action: The View of the Framers". Willamette Law Review. 22: 445. Retrieved May 19, 2017.