John B. Cassoday

The Honorable John B. Cassoday
9th Chief Justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court
In office July 4, 1895 – December 30, 1907
Preceded by	Harlow S. Orton
Succeeded by	John B. Winslow
Justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court
In office November 11, 1880 – December 30, 1907
Appointed by	William E. Smith
Preceded by	Edward George Ryan
Succeeded by	Robert McKee Bashford
27th Speaker of the Wisconsin Assembly
In office January 10, 1877 – January 9, 1878
Preceded by	Sam Fifield
Succeeded by	Augustus Barrows
Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly from the Rock 2nd district
In office January 1, 1877 – January 1, 1878
Preceded by	Fenner Kimball
Succeeded by	Charles R. Gleason
Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly from the Rock 5th district
In office January 1, 1865 – January 1, 1866
Preceded by	Hamilton Richardson
Succeeded by	Allen C. Bates
Personal details
Born	John Bolivar Cassoday (1830-07-07)July 7, 1830 Herkimer County, New York
Died	December 30, 1907(1907-12-30) (aged 77)
Resting place	Forest Hill Cemetery Madison, Wisconsin
Political party	Republican National Union (1865)
Spouses	Mary Prentice Spaulding (died 1900)
Children	Belle Ellsworth (Wheelock) (b. 1862; died 1931)
Profession	lawyer, judge
Signature

John Bolivar Cassoday (July 7, 1830 – December 30, 1907) was an American lawyer, politician, and judge. He was the 9th Chief Justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court and the 27th Speaker of the Wisconsin State Assembly.

Biography

Cassoday's grave at Forest Hill Cemetery

Born in Herkimer County, New York, he moved with his widowed mother to Tioga County, Pennsylvania, at age 3. After one year at the University of Michigan, he attended the Albany Law School. He moved to Janesville, Wisconsin, in July 1857 and established a law practice.

Politically, Cassoday was a Republican. He was a delegate from Wisconsin to the 1864 National Union National Convention, which nominated Abraham Lincoln for re-election, and was also a candidate for Wisconsin State Assembly that year on Lincoln's National Union ticket. He was elected to represent Janesville in the Assembly for the 1865 session, and was later elected to the 1877 session. In the 1877 session, he was chosen as Speaker by a vote of the Assembly. In 1880, he was chairman of the Wisconsin delegation to the 1880 Republican National Convention.

Later in 1880, Cassoday was appointed to the Wisconsin Supreme Court by Governor William E. Smith, to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Chief Justice Edward George Ryan. Cassoday was elected to remain in office in 1881, and was re-elected in 1889 and 1899. In 1895, Chief Justice Harlow S. Orton died in office. As the next most senior member of the court, Cassoday became the chief justice. Cassoday served twelve years as Chief Justice until his death in 1907. He was buried at Forest Hill Cemetery in Madison.

John B. Cassoday is the namesake of Cassoday, Kansas.