Skip to main content

Gordon Rufus Thompson

Born 3/2/1918 · Died 2/4/1995

Judicial Career

  • judNEV
    1/1/19611/1/1980

Biography

(Redirected from Gordon Rufus Thompson )

American judge

Gordon R. Thompson (March 2, 1918 – February 4, 1995) was a justice of the Supreme Court of Nevada from 1961 to 1980.

Born in Reno, Nevada to Reuben C. Thompson and Mabel M. Thompson. Gordon Thompson was the younger brother of Bruce R. Thompson , who served as a federal judge from 1963 to 1978, The Thompson brothers had two sisters, Doris and Mary A. With his wife, Betty, Gordon had two daughters, Mada Susan and Robin Marie.

After graduating from Reno High School in 1936, Thompson attended the University of Nevada, Reno , the same university his brother attended. Post graduation with a bachelor's degree in 1940, Gordon, like his brother, Bruce, left Reno to attend California's Stanford Law School , where he earned his LL.B. in 1943.

From 1957 to 1959, Thompson served as one of five members of the Advisory Committee to the Supreme Court of Nevada on Rules of Civil Procedure.

In 1961, Governor Grant Sawyer appointed Thompson to the Nevada Supreme Court, making him, at 42 years old, the youngest appointee to any state supreme court in the nation at that point.

Re-elected three times, Thompson also served as chief justice several times.

Among Thompson's opponents for re-election was future Chief Justice Charles Springer , a former Sawyer ally who ran against Sawyer in the 1966 primary election and made an unsuccessful bid to unseat Thompson in 1974.

During Thompson's tenure on the Court, it adopted the Nevada Rules on the Administrative Docket.

Thompson retired from the Nevada Supreme Court in 1980,

citing conflicts among the court's justices.

After leaving the court, Thompson taught law at the now-defunct Old College School of Law .

References

[(https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Gordon_R._Thompson&action=edit&section=1 "Edit section: References")
]

  1. Jump up to: 1

    "SCR 47: Memorializes former Chief Justice of Nevada Supreme Court, Gordon R. Thompson" . Nevada State Legislature . June 7, 1995.

  2. Jump up to: 1

    "G. R. Thompson, 76, Nevada Justice" . _The New York Times _. February 6, 1995.

  3. Jump up to: 1

    "Gordon R. Thompson" . _San Francisco Chronicle _. February 6, 1995.

  4. Jump up to: 1

    Bruce Rutherford Thompson at the _Biographical Directory of Federal Judges _, a publication of the Federal Judicial Center .

  5. "Justice Court Rules of Civil Procedure" . Supreme Court of Nevada . September 30, 2011.

  6. "Springer becomes Chief Justice" . _Las Vegas Sun _. January 5, 1998.

  7. "Nevada Rules on the Administrative Docket" . Supreme Court of Nevada . September 30, 2011.

  8. "Nevada Judge Battle Simmers As Voting Nears" . _Ocala Star-Banner _. Associated Press. October 2, 1980.

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Gordon_R._Thompson&oldid=1326231084 "

Categories :

Biographical content from Wikipedia (CC-BY-SA 4.0).

Recent opinions

View all →

Matches based on last-name occurrence in the case's judges field; broader than authored-opinions.

Sourced from CourtListener people-db (CC0).

This is legal information, not legal advice. Laws vary by jurisdiction and change frequently. Always verify current law with official sources and consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction for advice on your specific situation.