Chief Judges of the NC Supreme Court

Cheri L. Beasley

Beasley, Cheri

Born:  Living Education: Admitted: Elected to District Court: App’t Supreme Court:  App’t Chief Justice: Defeated in Election: Preceded by: Associate Justice:  Chief Justice:  Succeeded by: Associate Justice:  Chief Justice: 

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Mark D Martin

Martin, Mark D.

Born: Living Education: Admitted: Elected to District Court: App’t Supreme Court: App’t Chief Justice: Defeated in Election: Preceded by: Associate Justice: Chief Justice: 31 Aug 2014 Succeeded by: Associate Justice: Chief Justice:

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John Wallace Winbourne

Winborne, J. Wallace

Born: 12 Jul 1884, Chowan Co., NC Died: 9 Jul 1966, Marion, NC Buried: Oak Grove Cemetery, Marion, NC Education: Horner Military Academy, Bingman School, UNC, UNC Law School Read Law: Admitted: 1906 App’t to Supreme Court: 1937 Elected to Supreme Court: 1938, 1946, 1954 App’t Chief Justice: 21 Aug 1956 Elected Chief Justice: 21 Aug 1956, 1958 Retired: 8 Mar 1962

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John Louis Taylor

Taylor, John Louis

Born: 1 Mar 1769 in London, England Died: 29 Jan 1829 in Raleigh, NC Buried: Oakwood Cemetery in Raleigh, NC Education: William and Mary Read Law: George Wythe Admitted: 1788 Opened Taylor Law School: 1822 House of Commons: 1792, 1793, 1794 Elected to Superior Court: 1798 Elected to Supreme Court: 5 Jan 1819 Named Chief Justice: 5 Jan 1819 Died in office: 29 Jan

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William Parker Stacy

Stacy, Walter

Born: 26 Dec 1884, Ansonville, NC Died: 13 Sept 1951, Raleigh, NC Buried: Mary Love Cemetary, Hamlet, NC Education: UNC and UNC Law School Read Law: Admitted: 1909 NC House: 1915 App’t to Superior Court: 1915 Elected to Superior Court: 1916 Resigned: 1920 Elected to Supreme Court: 1920 App’t Chief Justice: 17 Mar 1925 Elected Chief Justice: 1926, 1934, 1942, 1950 Died in Office: 13 Sep

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William Nathan Harrell Smith

Smith, W. H. N.

Born: 24 Sept 1812, Murfreesboro, NC Died: 14 Nov 1889, Raleigh, NC Buried: Oakwood Cemetery, Raleigh, NC Education: Hertford Academy, Yale College, Yale Law School Admitted: 1836 House of Commons: 1840, 1858, 1865 NC Senate: 1848 Solicitor: Hertford Co. 1849 United States Congress: 1859 Confederate Congress: 1861 App’t Chief Justice: 14 Jan 1878 Elected Chief Justice: Nov 1878 Term expired: 14 Nov 1889 Preceded by: Associate

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James E Shepherd

Shepherd, James E.

Born: 26 Jul 1847, Mintonville, Va Died: 7 Feb 1910, Baltimore, Md Buried: Oakwood Cemetery, Raleigh, NC Education: UNC Law School Admitted: 1868 Constitutional Convention: 1875 App’t Superior Court: Aug 1882 Elected to Superior Court: Nov 1882 Elected to Supreme Court: Nov 1888 App’t Chief Justice: 16 Nov 1892 Defeated in Election: Nov 1893 Preceded by: Associate Justice: N/A* Chief Justice: Augustus A. Merrimon Succeeded by:

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Susie Marshall Sharp

Sharp, Susie

Born: 7 Jul 1907, Rocky Mt., NC Died: 1 March 1996 Buried: Greenview Cemetery, Reidsville, NC Education: Women’s College (UNC), UNC Law School Admitted: 1928 App’t to Superior Court: 1949 App’t to Supreme Court: 1962 Elected to Supreme Court: 1962, 1966 Elected Chief Justice: 2 Jan 1975 Retired: 31 Jul 1979 Preceded by: Associate Justice: Emery Byrd Denny Chief Justice: William H. Bobbitt Succeeded by:

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Thomas Ruffin

Ruffin, Thomas

Born: 17 Nov 1787, Virginia Died: 15 Jan 1870, Hillsborough, NC Buried: St. Matthews Church, Hillsborough, NC Education: Princeton Read Law: David Robertson (Virginia), Judge Archibald Murphey Admitted: 1807 House of Commons: 1813, 1815, 1816 Speaker of the House: 1816 Elected to Superior Court: 1816, 1825 Elected to Supreme Court: Dec 1829 Named Chief Justice: 30 Dec 1833 Resigned: 10 Nov 1852 Elected Assoc. Justice: 1858

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Richmond Mumford Pearson

Pearson, Richmond

Born: Jun 1805, Rowan Co., NC Died: 5 Jan 1878, Winston, NC Buried: Oakwood Cemetery, Raleigh, NC Education: Statesville Academy, UNC Read Law: Leonard Henderson Admitted: 1826 House of Commons: 1829, 1830, 1831, 1832 Opened Richmond Hill Law School: 1839 Elected to Superior Court: 1836 Elected to Supreme Court: Dec 1848 Named Chief Justice: 1858 Elected Chief Justice: 1 Aug 1858 Died in office: 5 Jan

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