Samuel Treat

Samuel Treat

Samuel H. Treat (December 17, 1815 – August 31, 1902) was a United States federal judge.

Born in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, Treat's preparatory education was obtained at a public high school in his native town. At the age of 16 he completed his education at that school, and for one year thereafter he was employed as assistant teacher in the same school. In 1833 he entered Harvard University, graduating with a BA in 1837, followed by an M.A. in 1840. He was the first example in New England of a student who entered Harvard University directly from a public school, without having passed through an intermediate training school.^[1]

In 1838 he commenced the study of the law in the offices of Jeremiah Mason and Charles B. Goodrich, the former the contemporary of Parsons, Story and Webster.^[1] During the time of pursuing his legal studies Judge also taught as a professor in the Weld school at Jamaica Plains, near Boston.^[1] While at the Weld school he was elected to take charge of the Temple Hill Academy in the Genessee Valley, New York, and there he continued his legal studies under Governor John Young.^[1] In November, 1840, he resigned his position as principal of the academy in order to devote more time to his legal studies. He resided in Genesseo for three years, and married his wife there.^[1]

In 1841 he came to St. Louis, and after examination was admitted to the bar by Judge Mullanphy.^[1] He devoted several years thereafter to editorial life with the St. Louis Union, and in 1848 he spent the winter in the island of Cuba on account of his health, which had become very much impaired.^[1] On his return to St. Louis he abandoned the editorial life, and was appointed by Governor King, in August, 1849, judge of the Court of Common Pleas in St. Louis, and at the coming session of the State Senate his appointment was confirmed.^[1] He was then a judge on the Court of Common Pleas for St. Louis from 1849 to 1857. He was a professor of admiralty law at Washington University Law School from 1867 to 1887.

On March 3, 1857, Treat was nominated by President Franklin Pierce to seat as a federal judge on the newly established United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri, created by 11 Stat. 197. He was confirmed by the United States Senate on March 3, 1857, and received his commission the same day. Treat retired March 5, 1887, and later died in Rochester, New York.

Sources

• Samuel Treat at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a public domain publication of the Federal Judicial Center.

1. James O. Broadhead, "Address of Col. J. O. Broadhead", in Bar Association of St. Louis, Proceedings of the Saint Louis bar on the retirement of Hon. Samuel Treat (March 5, 1887), p. 10-17.