James Hay Reed
James Hay Reed | |
---|---|
Judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania | |
In office February 20, 1891 – January 15, 1892 | |
Appointed by | Benjamin Harrison |
Preceded by | Marcus Wilson Acheson |
Succeeded by | Joseph Buffington |
Personal details | |
Born | James Hay Reed September 10, 1853 Allegheny, Pennsylvania |
Died | June 17, 1927 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | (aged 73)
Education | University of Pittsburgh (A.M.) read law |
James Hay Reed (September 10, 1853 – June 17, 1927) was a United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania. With partner Philander C. Knox, he formed the law firm of Knox and Reed.
Early life and ducation
Born on September 10, 1853, in Allegheny, Pennsylvania, Reed received an Master of Arts degree in 1872 from the Western University of Pennsylvania (now the University of Pittsburgh) and read law in 1875.[1]
Career
Reed was in private practice, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, from 1875 to 1891.[1] In 1877, he formed the law firm of Knox and Reed (later Reed Smith) with Philander C. Knox. He became a federal judge in 1891 and, following his resignation from the bench the following year, Reed resumed private practice in Pittsburgh, from 1892 to 1927.
Johnstown Flood
Reed and Knox were members of the South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club, which had a clubhouse upriver of Johnstown, Pennsylvania. It was responsible for maintenance of the South Fork Dam, which failed in May 1889, causing the Johnstown Flood and severe losses of life and property downriver. When word of the dam's failure was telegraphed to Pittsburgh, Frick and other members of the South Fork Club gathered to form the Pittsburgh Relief Committee for assistance to the flood victims.[citation needed]
As its attorneys; Knox and his law partner Reed were able to fend off four lawsuits against the Club; Colonel Unger, its president; and against 50 named members. Each cases was "either settled or discontinued and, as far as is known, no one bringing action profited thereby."[2]Despite a history of neglect and Daniel Johnson Morrell campaigning to club officials, especially to Ruff, its founder, regarding the safety of the dam, to no avail;[3][4] the club was never held legally responsible for the disaster. Knox and Reed successfully argued that the dam's failure was a natural disaster, which was an Act of God, and no legal compensation was paid to the survivors of the flood.[2] The perceived injustice aided the acceptance of “strict, joint, and several liability,” so that a “non-negligent defendant could be held liable for damage caused by the unnatural use of land.[5][6] He also achieved some fame from settling a "bitter dispute" between fellow club members, business partners Andrew Carnegie and co-founder Henry Clay Frick, a decade later.[7]
Federal judicial service
Reed was nominated by President Benjamin Harrison on February 10, 1891, to a seat on the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania vacated by Judge Marcus Wilson Acheson. He was confirmed by the United States Senate on February 20, 1891, and received his commission the same day. His service terminated on January 15, 1892, due to his resignation.[1]
Death
He died on June 17, 1927, in Pittsburgh.[1]
References
- ^ a b c d "Reed, James Hay - Federal Judicial Center". www.fjc.gov.
- ^ a b "The Johnstown Flood", by Robert D. Christie, The Western Pennsylvania Historical Magazine, Volume 54, Number 2, April 1971.
- ^ Johnstown’s Flood of 1889: Power Over Truth and The Science Behind the Disaster, by Neil M. Coleman, Springer, 2018, page 185. Retrieved June 7, 2019.
- ^ "Benjamin Franklin Ruff (1835-1887)", "Johnstown Memorial", National Park Service. Retrieved June 7, 2019.
- ^ "May 31, 1889 CE: Johnstown Flood", National Geographic. Retrieved June 3, 2019.
- ^ Shugerman, Jed Handelsman (2000). "Note: The Floodgates of Strict Liability: Bursting Reservoirs and the Adoption of Fletcher v. Rylands in the Gilded Age". Yale Law Journal. 110 (2): 333–377. doi:10.2307/797576. JSTOR 797576.
- ^ "James Hay Reed (1853-1927)", "Johnstown Flood", National Park Service. Retrieved June 2, 2019.
Sources
- "Reed, James Hay - Federal Judicial Center". www.fjc.gov.
- "Business & Finance: Silver Scoop". 12 November 1928 – via content.time.com.
External links
- 1853 births
- 1927 deaths
- People from Pittsburgh
- Judges of the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania
- United States federal judges appointed by Benjamin Harrison
- 19th-century American judges
- United States federal judges admitted to the practice of law by reading law
- University of Pittsburgh alumni