Home > Melville Fuller

Fuller was born in Augusta, Maine. He attended college at Bowdoin College, graduating in in 1853. Both his maternal grandfather, Nathan Weston and paternal gradfather, Henry Weld Fuller were judges. His father was a well-known lawyer. His parents divorced shortly after his birth, and he was raised by Nathan Weston.

After finishing school, he studied law under the direction of an uncle. In 1855, he went into partnership with another uncle. He also became the editor of The Age, a leading Democratic newspaper in Maine. Soon he tired of Maine and moved to Chicago.

At the time, Chicago was becoming the gateway to the West. Railroads had just linked it to the east. Fuller built a law practice in Chicago. Within two years, he appeared before the Supreme Court of Illinois in the case of Beach vs. Derby. He became a leading attorney in the city. He first appeared before the United States Supreme Court in the case of Traders' Bank vs Campbell. He also argued the case of Tappan vs the Merchants' National Bank of Chicago, which was the first case heard by Chief Justice Morrison Waite, whom he would later replace.

He was a minor figure in Illinois politics. He spent one term in the legislature and was a delegate the national Democratic Conventions of 1864, 1872, 1876, and 1880. In 1876, he made the nominating speech for Thomas Hendricks, for the Democratic electoral vote for President.

On the bench, he oversaw a number of important opinions. He declared the income taxIncome tax is a direct tax which is levied on the income of private individuals. Various income tax systems exist, ranging from a flat tax to an extensive progressive tax system. Tax levied on the income of companies is often called corporate income tax o law unconstitutional. In Western Union Telegraph Company vs. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania he ruled that states could not tax interstate telegraph messages.

He also served on the Arbitration Commission in ParisEiffel Tower has become the symbol of Paris throughout the world. Paris is the capital and largest city of France. The city is built on an arc of the River Seine, and is thus divided into two parts: the Right Bank to the north and the smaller Left Bank to in 1899 to resolve a boundary dispute between the United KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a state in Western Europe, usually known simply as the United Kingdom the UK Britain or less accurately as Great Britain . The UK was formed by a series of Acts of Union which united the formerly and VenezuelaThe Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (Spanish: Republica Bolivariana de Venezuela "Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela") is a country in northern South America. 1 It borders the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean to the north, Guyana to the east, Brazil to.

He was said to closely resemble Mark TwainSamuel Langhorne Clemens ( November 30, 1835- April 21, 1910), better known by his pen name Mark Twain was a famous and popular American humorist, writer and lecturer. Mark Twain was also a steamboat pilot, gold prospector, and journalist. At his peak, he. Once, when the humorist was stopped on the street a passerby demanded the Chief Justice's autograph. Twain supposedly wrote

It is delicious to be full, but it is heavenly to be Fuller. I am cordially yours, Melville W. Fuller.

He was married twice. He married Calista Reynolds in 1858; she died in 1864. He married Mary Coolbaugh in 1866. He had six daughters.