Talk:William L. Sharkey

Ole Miss

I believe he was involved in the founding of Ole Miss, but have not been able to find a supporting link for that so I haven't added it. Does anyone have proof of that? I strikes me as something that would be important to add. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 174.44.139.216 (talk) 17:30, 10 February 2012 (UTC)

Green Bag biography

Here is Sharkey's complete biography from the public domain 1907 edition of the Green Bag:

The first election under the constitution of 1832 placed upon the bench, William L. Sharkey, Cotesworth P. Smith, and Daniel W. Wright.

Justice Sharkey was born in Tennessee in 1797. His parents settled in Warren county in 1803. He began his career with "parts and poverty." With his own earnings, he attended school at Greenville, Tenn., and afterwards studied law at Lebanon. He was admitted to the bar at Natchez in 1822. He moved to Vicksburg in 1825, and was elected to the legislature in 1827. He was earnestly opposed to the clause of the constitution providing for the election

of judges, and yet was promoted by election to the first bench, served there as chief justice for eighteen years, and, when the liability of the State for the payment of the bonds of the Union Bank was in issue, was triumphantly reelected in the face of his declaration that the State was liable, over a lawyer of ability who entertained the opposite opinion. Judge Sharkey was a member of the Nashville convention held in 1856. President Fillmore then tendered to him the position of secretary of war which he declined. He remained opposed to secession, and was in 1865 appointed governor of Mississippi by President Johnson. He was afterwards elected to the United States Senate, but, with other southern senators, was denied his seat. He was one of the most able jurists who ever adorned the bench. He died in 1873, "full of years and full of honors."

Cheers! bd2412 T 15:44, 26 December 2016 (UTC)

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