Buell Arthur Nesbett (sometimes misspelled as Nesbitt; June 2, 1910 in New Mexico – August 17, 1993 in Anchorage, Alaska) was an American soldier, lawyer, businessman, and the first chief justice of the Alaska Supreme Court.
Buell A. Nesbett | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Chief Justice of the Alaska Supreme Court | |
| In office 1959–1971 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | June 2, 1910 New Mexico |
| Died | August 17, 1993 (aged 83) Anchorage, Alaska |
| Education | University of San Francisco School of Law |
Buell A. Nesbett | |
|---|---|
| Allegiance | United States |
| Service | United States Navy |
| Awards | Bronze Star Medal |
Born in New Mexico, Nesbett earned his law degree at the University of San Francisco in 1940 and served with distinction in the Navy during World War II, commanding the USS Atlas and earning a Bronze Star.[1]
He settled in Anchorage, Alaska after the war and practiced law until his appointment in 1959 to be the first chief justice of the newly created Alaska Supreme Court. Given three years to set up the new state's courts, he accomplished the job in 6 months.[2] He served on the court until 1970, when an airplane accident led him to resign for health reasons.[citation needed]
Nesbett was also involved with an effort to reopen an Alaskan coal mine; he was president of the Buffalo Coal Mining Company and suffered financial losses when the company was unable to successfully reopen the mine.[3]
Personal life and death
editNesbett married Enid Elsie "Barbara" Allen, an English nurse whom he met in England during the war. He died of leukemia in Anchorage in 1993, aged 83. He was survived by his wife, six children (2 sons and 4 daughters), and 11 grandchildren.[4] The state courthouse in Anchorage is named in his honor.[5]
References
edit- ^ Pace, Eric (August 23, 1993). "Chief Justice Buell A. Nesbett, 83; Headed Alaska's Supreme Court". The New York Times. Retrieved April 26, 2020.
- ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-04-11. Retrieved 2011-03-22.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) Alaska Courts 50 Years exhibit (includes photo) - ^ [1]Archived 2012-05-17 at the Wayback Machine court decision, United States v. Buffalo Coal Mining Company.
- ^ Obituary, newspapers.com. Accessed March 15, 2024.
- ^ "Anchorage Court Directory - Alaska Court System". courts.alaska.gov. Retrieved 2024-03-12.
 | This biography of a state judge in Alaska is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |