Charles A. Pratt | |
---|---|
Judge of the 8th District Court | |
In office 1968–1980 | |
Personal details | |
Born | Kalamazoo, Michigan, U.S. | April 2, 1909
Died | March 21, 1989 (aged 79) |
Resting place | Fort Custer National Cemetery |
Education |
Howard University (
BA) Howard University ( JD) |
Charles A. Pratt (April 2, 1909 – March 21, 1989) was an American judge. [1] He was the first Black judge in Kalamazoo County, Michigan, first elected in 1968 to the newly created 8th District Court. [1]
Pratt was born on April 2, 1909, to Otis and Lydia Pratt in Kalamazoo, Michigan. [1] [2] He attended Kalamazoo Central High School and graduated in 1928. [1] Pratt attended Howard University where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1932 and his Doctor of Jurisprudence in 1935. [1] [3] He was awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Kalamazoo College. [3]
Pratt opened a law practice in Kalamazoo after failing to join a larger firm. [1] He recounted in a speech: "One lawyer told me that now the colored people had a lawyer of their own. I told him that I was not a lawyer for the colored people, but for all the people. That I was a Negro but did not want to be restricted because of that fact." [2]
He practiced law as an attorney from 1935 to 1968, except for the five years he served during World War II. [3]
During World War II, Pratt was called to active duty as a member of the Judge Advocate General's Corps of the U.S. Army. [1] He also served in the army's 366th Infantry Regiment that fought in North Africa and Italy. [3]
In 1968, Pratt became the first black judge elected in Kalamazoo County. [1] He retired from the bench in 1980 due to a state law restricting the age of judges. [1]
He served on several local boards.
Pratt married Thema Lenox, they had four children Charles Pratt Jr., Helen Mickens, James Pratt, and Sonya Terburg. [2]
Pratt died in 1989 and was buried at Fort Custer National Cemetery in Kalamazoo. [1]
In October 2010, a group of African-American judges and lawyers from Kalamazoo and Calhoun County, Michigan voted to establish the Charles A. Pratt Bar Association, first minority bar association in their counties. [2] The association focuses on providing legal education in the Kalamazoo community and resources for attorneys of color. [2]
In September 2023, members of the Kalamazoo County Bar Association petitioned the Kalamazoo County Board of Commissioners to rename an incoming justice center in downtown Kalamazoo in honor of Pratt. [4] The board voted to approve the renaming of the building to the "Judge Charles A. Pratt Justice Center" in October. [5] The building opened on December 11, 2023, replacing the Michigan Avenue Courthouse constructed in 1937. [6] [7]
{{
cite web}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (
link)
Charles A. Pratt | |
---|---|
Judge of the 8th District Court | |
In office 1968–1980 | |
Personal details | |
Born | Kalamazoo, Michigan, U.S. | April 2, 1909
Died | March 21, 1989 (aged 79) |
Resting place | Fort Custer National Cemetery |
Education |
Howard University (
BA) Howard University ( JD) |
Charles A. Pratt (April 2, 1909 – March 21, 1989) was an American judge. [1] He was the first Black judge in Kalamazoo County, Michigan, first elected in 1968 to the newly created 8th District Court. [1]
Pratt was born on April 2, 1909, to Otis and Lydia Pratt in Kalamazoo, Michigan. [1] [2] He attended Kalamazoo Central High School and graduated in 1928. [1] Pratt attended Howard University where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1932 and his Doctor of Jurisprudence in 1935. [1] [3] He was awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Kalamazoo College. [3]
Pratt opened a law practice in Kalamazoo after failing to join a larger firm. [1] He recounted in a speech: "One lawyer told me that now the colored people had a lawyer of their own. I told him that I was not a lawyer for the colored people, but for all the people. That I was a Negro but did not want to be restricted because of that fact." [2]
He practiced law as an attorney from 1935 to 1968, except for the five years he served during World War II. [3]
During World War II, Pratt was called to active duty as a member of the Judge Advocate General's Corps of the U.S. Army. [1] He also served in the army's 366th Infantry Regiment that fought in North Africa and Italy. [3]
In 1968, Pratt became the first black judge elected in Kalamazoo County. [1] He retired from the bench in 1980 due to a state law restricting the age of judges. [1]
He served on several local boards.
Pratt married Thema Lenox, they had four children Charles Pratt Jr., Helen Mickens, James Pratt, and Sonya Terburg. [2]
Pratt died in 1989 and was buried at Fort Custer National Cemetery in Kalamazoo. [1]
In October 2010, a group of African-American judges and lawyers from Kalamazoo and Calhoun County, Michigan voted to establish the Charles A. Pratt Bar Association, first minority bar association in their counties. [2] The association focuses on providing legal education in the Kalamazoo community and resources for attorneys of color. [2]
In September 2023, members of the Kalamazoo County Bar Association petitioned the Kalamazoo County Board of Commissioners to rename an incoming justice center in downtown Kalamazoo in honor of Pratt. [4] The board voted to approve the renaming of the building to the "Judge Charles A. Pratt Justice Center" in October. [5] The building opened on December 11, 2023, replacing the Michigan Avenue Courthouse constructed in 1937. [6] [7]
{{
cite web}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (
link)