William Lee Knous

William Lee Knous (February 2, 1889 – December 12, 1959) was Chief Justice of the Colorado Supreme Court, the 31st Governor of Colorado and a United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Colorado.

William Lee Knous
Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Colorado
In office 1954–1959
Preceded by	Office established
Succeeded by	Alfred Albert Arraj
Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Colorado
In office April 7, 1950 – December 12, 1959
Appointed by	Harry S. Truman
Preceded by	John Foster Symes
Succeeded by	Olin Hatfield Chilson
31st Governor of Colorado
In office January 14, 1947 – April 15, 1950
Lieutenant	Homer L. Pearson Walter Walford Johnson
Preceded by	John Charles Vivian
Succeeded by	Walter Walford Johnson
Member of the Colorado House of Representatives
In office 1928-1930
Member of the Colorado Senate
In office 1930-1936
Personal details
Born	William Lee Knous February 2, 1889 Ouray, Colorado
Died	December 12, 1959 (aged 70) Denver, Colorado
Nationality	American
Education	University of Colorado Law School (LL.B.)

The National Governors Association states that he is the only person "to have occupied the highest seat in the legislative, judicial, and executive branches of government" in Colorado.[1]

Early life and education

Born on February 2, 1889, in Ouray, Colorado, he was the son of John F. Knous of Pennsylvania Dutch descent.[2] His mother, Julia Bain,[2] was of Irish and Scottish ancestry. Both parents descended from men who fought in the Revolutionary War.[3] In the early 1870s, John Knous moved from Iowa to Colorado, where he worked as a wagon boss and freighter that hauled supplies for the mining industry in Leadville.[2][3] In Ouray, he drove a stagecoach between Ouray and Silverton.[3] He also mined and prospected before becoming the town marshal and undersheriff.[2]

As a boy, William Knous began a lifelong interest in fishing and hunting. He graduated from Ouray High School, where he was the class valedictorian.[3] He began working in the mines because it paid well. He played semi-pro baseball and entered local boxing matches, from which he earned money for college.[2][3] Knous received a Bachelor of Law degree with honors in 1911 from the University of Colorado Law School.[1][4] He was admitted to the bar in Colorado in 1911.[2]

Career

Knous entered private practice first in Ouray from 1911 to 1916, when he had fewer clients due to an economic downturn in the mining industry. He was a deputy district attorney for Ouray County, Colorado from 1913 to 1918, except a portion of one year from 1916 to 1917 when he wrote for legal publications in Rochester, New York. Realizing his preference to live in the Rocky Mountains, he returned to Colorado.[2][3] He then worked with the Moynihan-Hughes-Knous law firm in Montrose, where he became a mining and irrigation legal expert.[2][1] He was the Mayor of Montrose, Colorado from 1926 to 1930. He was a member of the Colorado House of Representatives from 1928 to 1930.[1][4] A western conservative, he was interested in issues faced by cattle ranchers and water rights.[3] While in Montrose, he was the Chamber of Commerce president and city attorney.[2]

He was in private practice in Denver, Colorado to 1937. He was a member of the Colorado Senate from 1930 to 1936, serving as President pro Tem from 1935 to 1936. He was a Justice of the Colorado Supreme Court from 1937 to 1947, serving as Chief Justice from 1946 to 1947.[1][4] He helped solve a major oil workers' strike and other national issues when he served on the national War Labor Board during World War II.[3]

He was the 31st Governor of Colorado from 1947 to 1950.[1][4] Under his administration, a bill was enacted to combat specific diseases and public health units were established. Support was increased for workmen's compensation and schools. The state system of accounts and controls was improved, and the general fund for the state increased to a significant surplus.[1]

Knous was nominated by President Harry S. Truman on March 1, 1950 to a seat on the United States District Court for the District of Colorado vacated by Judge John Foster Symes. He was confirmed by the United States Senate on April 4, 1950, and received his commission on April 7, 1950. He served as Chief Judge from 1954 to 1959. His service terminated on December 12, 1959, due to his death.[1]

Personal life

He eloped with Elsie Marie Grabow, a friend of his sister and a teacher, in 1916.[3] They had three sons, all of whom fought in World War II.[3]

• Robert Knous was a state senator and lieutenant governor of Colorado[3]
• Merle Knous was a state district judge[3]
• William Knous was a district attorney in Montrose[3]

He died of a heart attack on December 12, 1959 and was buried at Fairmount Cemetery.[2][1][5]

References

1. "William Lee Knous". National Governors Association. Retrieved February 14, 2020.
2. "Colorado Governors: William Lee Knous" (PDF). Colorado government. Retrieved February 14, 2020.
3. Logan, James K. (1992). The Federal Courts of the Tenth Circuit: A History. U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit. pp. 60–64.
4. William Lee Knous at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a public domain publication of the Federal Judicial Center.
5. "William Lee Knous". Federal Justicial Center. Retrieved February 14, 2020.

External links

• "The History of William Lee Knous" (video)
• Knous, William Lee, 1889-1959, Harry S. Truman Library
• William Lee Knous at Find a Grave