Edward Ray Sloan (March 12, 1883 – January 30, 1964) was a member of the Kansas House of Representatives and justice of the Kansas Supreme Court from April 6, 1931, to January 9, 1933. ^[1]

Life and education

He was born March 12, 1883, in Seward County, Nebraska, his family then moved to Sheridan County, Kansas in 1886. ^{[2] [3]} He lived in a sod house until he was 17 and attended public school in Sheridan County. ^[2] He obtained his a degree in 1904 from Campbell College School of Law in Holton, Kansas, and Washburn College Law School in 1905. ^[3] He was admitted to the bar with fifty other students in June 1905, only one of which was a woman. ^[4]

He was married to Miss Julia L. Write at her home in Norton, Kansas January 24, 1906. ^[5]

He was a Methodist and on occasion spoke to church groups on subject such as "Christianity and Law" and "The Trail of Christ". ^{[6] [7] [8]}

Career

He was elected as the Sheridan County attorney at the end of 1904 before passing the Bar, and then re-elected for a further two terms, all the time running his own private practice in Hoxie, Kansas. ^[3]

He set up a new law firm July 1911 with Guy L. Hursh called the Holton law firm of Hursh & Sloan. ^[3]

Sloan was appointed the Holton city attorney in April 1912 and held the position for 19 years. ^[3] He gave a speech to Democrats in Topeka, Kansas Monday February 23, 1920 on "Congress Failing the Nation", which caused a number of prominent members impressed with his abilities as a statesman and an orator to urge him to run for Congress and represent them in Washington - he positively declined. ^[9]

He was a member of the Kansas House of Representatives for three terms, from 1923 until 1929. ^[3]

He then set up a law firm in Topeka, Kansas called Sloan, Hamilton and Sloan in 1930 with his younger brother Floyd Sloan and W. Glenn Hamilton. ^[3]

When John Marshall died in March 1931 leaving his supreme court position empty neither party nominated and no one filed so the position was missed in the elections. ^[10] When it was realised by the Kansas Bar Association that any qualified man who started a write-in vote campaign could take the seat the president Gilbert Frith urged member of the bar to have Justice Sloan, a Democrat, written in. ^{[10] [11]} So then in April 1931 Governor Woodring appointed Sloan to the Kansas Supreme Court, where he served the remaining 21 months of the unexpired term. ^[3] He announced in May 1932 that he would not run for a second term stating that he would return to private practice of the end of the current term. ^[12] He said that he would re-join his practice in Topeka Sloan, Hamilton and Sloan, ^[12] the firm later changed to be Sloan, Listrom, Eisenbarth, Sloan & Glassman with Hamilton leaving and three new partners. ^[3] The Lyon County Bar Association endorsed Sloan to run for the six week period between the election and the end of the term to stop on a technicality a once disbarred man from running for the position. ^[11] It was Walter G. Thiele that did run for the next term and won the position on the court, reverting to Republican from Democrat. ^[13]

He was later appointed to the Kansas Corporation Commission and was the chairman from 1936 until 1938. ^[3]

Sometime later in 1947 he was appointed as the Referee in Bankruptcy for the District of Kansas, a position he help for 14 years. ^[3] He was also the first vice-president of the National Association of Referees in Bankruptcy. ^[2]

He lectured at the Washburn University School of Law, ^[3] and then compiled a textbook on bankruptcy in 1952 called Lectures on the Law of Bankruptcy. ^[14] He received and honorary doctorate of law from the Washburn University School of Law in 1954. ^{[15] [3]}

Death

He died at home in Topeka, Kansas January 30, 1964 in his sleep. ^{[16] [17]}

References