Judge Arthur Chandler LYON

LYON, ALDEN, PATTON, BUTTON, POOLEY, LONG, SHEPARDSON, CHRISTIAN

Posted By: Sharon R Becker (email)
Date: 4/6/2011 at 22:37:40

Judge Arthur Chandler Lyon

Judge Arthur C. LYON, judge of the Superior Court at Grinnell, is a native son of Iowa, and has won distinction in the field of the law, in public service and in business.

He was born at Rockford, Iowa, November 16, 1874. His father, Oelo Henry LYON, was born at East Woodstock, Connecticut, January 20, 1835, and in early manhood came to Iowa, in 1856, and was one of the pioneers of Cedar Falls. He became prominent as a farmer and stock man, banker, and member of the Legislature. He died June 18, 1904. He was for four years in the Union army as a captain in the Third Iowa Battery of Light Artillery. Captain Lyon married, in 1867, Miss Belle ALDEN, of Keene, New Hampshire, who died October 25, 1905. Of their seven children five are living: Mrs. Anna S. PATTON, of Mason City; Mrs. Jesse Brown BUTTON, of Outlook, Saskatchewan, Canada; Arthur Chandler, of Grinnell; Mrs. Edna Belle POOLEY, of Grinnell, and Mrs. Susie Elizabeth LONG, of Mason City.

Arthur Chandler LYON attended public schools in Rockford, Floyd County, graduating from high school in 1890, and in the fall of the same year entered Grinnell College. he has always been one of the most loyal of the alumni of Grinnell and since 1908 has served on the board of trustees. He was graduated with the degree Bachelor of Philosophy at the end of his four year course in 1894, and won letters in baseball and football, and was elected a Phi Beta Kappa on his scholarship record. After teaching a term in Floyd County he was for about a year connected with the J. SHEPARDSON Bank of Marble Rick, for three years was principal of the Rockford High School, and for one year principal of the high school at Mason City.

In 1900 he entered Harvard University School of Law, graduating LL. B. in 1903. While in law school he also played football. In 1904 he was admitted to the Iowa bar, and at first was associated with the law office of CLARK & McLAUGHLIN at Des Moines, but in 1905 opened an office of his own. In February, 1906, he was appointed general attorney for the Spaulding Manufacturing Company of Grinnell, and served that corporation as general counsel until 1917. In 1908 he was admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court.

For a civilian Judge LYON was interested with an unusual burden of responsibilities during the World war. In 1918 he entered the American Red Cross service. He was assigned as Red Cross director at Payne Feild, Mississippi, was then transferred to Camp Shelby at Hattiesburg, Mississippi, as field director, then to Camp McClellan at Anniston, Alabama, and from there was called to the Division Office at New Orleans, working in the military relief department. In May, 1919, he was sent to Vladivostok, Siberia, as head of military relief, and served in that portion of the Far East a year and a half, his chief work being in getting the Czechoslovakian soldiers back home an din participation in child relief.

Judge LYON returned home in July 1920, and resumed his connection with civic affairs as vice president of the Grinnell Washing Machine Company at Grinnell. In 1925 he was elected Superior Court judge and has been on the bench for four years. Judge LYON is a Republican, is a member of the Congregational Church, is affiliated with the Masonic fraternity and B. P. O. Elks.

He married Miss Alma CHRISTIAN, February 4, 1914. She was born at Grinnell, where their home is at 1430 Broad Street, while Judge LYON'S offices are in the BEYER Building.

SOURCE:
HARLAN, Edgar Rubey, LL.B., A.M. A Narrataive History of The People of Iowa: With Special Treatment of Their Chief Enterprises in Education, Religion, Valor, Industry, Business. . . Vol. III. American Historical Society. 1931.

Transcription by Debbie Clough Gerischer for IAGenWeb's History Project