Nelson Case, LL. D., of Oswego, Labette county, is one of the distinguished lawyers of Kansas. He is a native of Pennsylvania, born in Wyoming county, that state, April 22, 1845. The original ancestor of the Case family in America was John Case, who emigrated from England and settled at Simsbury, Conn., prior to 1650. The parents of Judge Case were Chauncey and Mary E. (Roberts) Case, the former born at Simsbury, while the latter was born in Pennsylvania and was of Welsh extraction. The parents were married in Pennsylvania, from whence they removed to Lee county, Illinois, in 1845, and resided there until their respective deaths. The mother died rather early in life, yet left eight children, seven of whom grew to mature years and six of whom are yet living. Judge Case is the youngest of these seven. The father lived to be eighty-two years old. He was a farmer by occupation and reared his family on the farm. Judge Nelson Case received an academic education, which was supplemented by a course at the Illinois Normal University, at Normal, Ill., in which he graduated in 1866. The following year he became principal of the schools at Tolono, Ill. In the fall of 1867 he entered the law department of the University of Michigan, in which he graduated in the spring of 1869. He came direct to Oswego, Kan., immediately ofter[sic] his graduation, and there began his professional career, which has been one of success and honor and of long duration. In addition to being a hard worker in his profession, he has always believed in doing his share of work and bearing his share of responsibility in connection with local affairs. Soon after locating at Oswego he was elected justice of the peace and served in that capacity several years. He has also given his home city many years of service as city clerk, city attorney, and councilman, and in addition served fifteen years on the city board of education, nine years of which he was president of the board. He has been prominent in other and wider educational fields, having served as regent of the Kansas State Normal two terms, as a trustee of the Labette County High School three terms, a trustee of Oswego College since 1887, as a trustee of Baker Univerity since 1883 and president of the board since 1897, and he has always been an ardent friend of education. He is a Republican in politics and been active in helping to shape the most advanced policies of his party. His church faith is expressed by membership in the Methodist Episcopal denomination, in which he is an active and consistent worker. His leading church work has been in the department of the Sunday school. He was superintendent of the Methodist Sunday school in Oswego thirty-five years, was the first general secretary of the state Sunday school association, and has always been active in the state and local Sunday school work. He has also been an active temperance worker and has been an officer in the State Temperance Union many years. in 1880 he was appointed probate judge of Labette county by Governor St. John, and was subsequently twice elected to that office, serving altogether five years in that position. In 1872 Judge Case married Miss Mary E. Claypool, of Attica, Ind., who died in 1892. They adopted and raised two children: Blanche, the wife of Prof. H. J. Homer, of Baker University, and Walter H. is a journalist at Long Beach, Cal. In 1900 Judge Case took, as his second wife, Miss Georgianna Reed, by whom he is the father of two daughters—Miriam and Hortense. Mrs. Case is a highly educated and cultured lady. She gave a number of years to the profession of art teaching and at the time of her marriage had an art studio in Kansas City, Mo. In his make-up Judge Case is a natural leader among men and is of commanding influence in the organizations with which he is connected. As a lawyer he has stood at the head of the bar of the district for a quarter of a century and ranks among the ablest in Kansas.

Frank Doster, ex-chief justice of the supreme court of Kansas, says of him: "I have known Judge Nelson Case, of Oswego, Kan., for years, during six of which I served as a member of the supreme court of this state, before which court he was an active practioner. As a lawyer he stands in the front rank of the profession in this state, and is a citizen of the highest character." Another estimate of the man and lawyer is as follows: "Judge Nelson Case, of Oswego, Kan., has long been a practitioner in this court. I have had a personal acquaintance with him for twenty-five years and know him to be a strong, capable lawyer. He has had many cases, involving large amounts of money and very important questions, and has presented them in a forcible and effective way. He is a close student of the law, including its sources, its history, and its development. He has an excellent standing in the community in which he lives and in the state, not only as a lawyer, but as an upright and honorable citizen."—W. A. Johnston, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Kansas. Judge Case expects to continue in active practice many years. He is a man of fine literary taste and is a great student of the classic writers. He has one of the rare and choice private libraries in the state. A no small share of literary prominence among the writers of Kansas is due him as the author of three books that have been well received: "The History of Labette County," "Constitutional History of the United States," and "European Constitutional History." In 1909 Baker University conferred on him the honorary degree of Doctor of Laws. He expects to spend his closing years in the town in which he has now been a resident over forty years.