Sommerville, Walter Byers

Submitted by Mike Miller Sommerville, Walter Byers, associate justice of the supreme court of Louisiana--Is a native of the city of New Orleans, La., and was born Oct. 7, 1854. His parents were William B. and Eleanor (Casey) Sommerville, the father being a native of Pennsylvania and a son of James Sommerville of Virginia. William B. Sommerville came South when a young man and later married Mrs. Eleanor Buchanan, nee Casey, a native of Natchez, Miss., and located at New Orleans in 1854. He followed the business of a sugar merchant, and died in 1862, when about 45 years of age, leaving 4 children, one of whom is now deceased, the remaining 3 being the subject of this sketch and 2 sisters, who are teachers. The mother died at all advanced age. She was a lady of the most sterling qualities of heart and mind, devoted to her family and enjoying the most trustful love and veneration of her children and the most gracious consideration and esteem throughout a wide circle of appreciative friends and acquaintances. Walter B. Sommerville passed his youth in the city of his nativity, where he attended the public schools, and the boys' high school. Following the completion of his academic education the young man entered the University of Louisiana, now Tulane, and graduated from that institution with the degree of Bachelor of Laws in the class of 1880. In May of that year the young attorney was admitted to practice in the courts of Louisiana. In 1891 he was admitted to practice before the supreme court of the United States. The first public position held by Atty. Sommerville was that of clerk to the attorney general of Louisiana, in which capacity he served 8 years. During a like period of time he was assistant city attorney at New Orleans. In Aug., 1889 he was appointed to fill an unexpired term as judge, of the civil district court, and in November of that year he was elected to succeed himself on the bench of that court for a term of 12 years. When former Gov. Francis T. Nicholls, on account of failing health, retired as associate justice of the supreme court, Judge Sommerville was elected, March, 1911, to fill his unexpired term, and in Nov. 1912, Judge Sommerville was elected to succeed himself for a term of 12 years. It was highly complimentary to Judge Sommerville that Gov. Nicholls expressed pleasure in knowing that he was to be succeeded as associate justice by Judge Sommerville. As a man, lawyer and jurist, he won an enviable reputation, and is esteemed as a man of the most sterling qualities of character and exalted ideals, possessing a profound knowledge of the law, and his opinions characterize him as a wise and just jurist. In 1906 Judge Sommerville was married to Miss Fannie Palmer Caldwell, a daughter of Prof. John W. Caldwell and grand-daughter of Rev. Dr. Benjamin Morgan Palmer, who was pastor of the First Presbyterian church of New Orleans, for almost 50 years.

Louisiana: Comprising Sketches of Parishes, Towns, Events, Institutions, and Persons, Arranged in Cyclopedic Form (volume 3), pp. 403-404. Edited by Alcée Fortier, Lit.D. Published in 1914, by Century Historical Association.