William Henry Moody (1906-1910)
Lived from 1853 to 1917.
Early Life and Legal Career
William H. Moody was born in in Newbury, Massachusetts. He graduated from Harvard College in 1876 as a member of the Phi Beta Kappa Society. Moody briefly attended Harvard Law School, but ultimately decided to read law under Richard Henry Dana, Jr. prior to entering the bar in 1878.
Moody was appointed District Attorney for Eastern Massachusetts in 1890. After serving as the junior prosecutor in the Lizzie Borden murder case in 1893, Moody gained widespread notoriety in the legal community. Although Borden was acquitted, his prosecutorial skill was noted by leading Republicans of the day. Moody, a close friend of President Theodore Roosevelt, eventually went on to serve as Secretary of the Navy and Attorney General during the Roosevelt administration.
Appointment to the Supreme Court
Moody was nominated as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court in 1906 by President Roosevelt. During his brief time on the bench, Moody authored 67 opinions and 5 dissents. His most noted opinion was in the minority in Employers Liability Cases, where he held that Congress’ power to regulate interstate commerce included the ability to legislate management’s relationship with employees.
Unfortunately, after beginning to suffer from severe rheumatism in 1908, Moody took leave from the Court. When his condition failed to improve, he was eventually forced to retire on November 20, 1910, at the age of 55.
Death
Moody died on July 2, 1917 in Haverhill, Massachusetts.
Notable Cases
Employers Liability Cases (1908)
Louisville & Nashville Railroad Company v. Mottley (1908)
