McGee, John E.F. (1861-1908)

MCGEE

Posted By: Karon Velau (email)
Date: 9/22/2019 at 17:19:42

John E. F. McGee
Dec 23, 1861 - July 19, 1908

(From the 1891 Biographical History of Pottawattamie County, Iowa, p.407)
HON. J.E.F. McGEE, Judge of the Superior Court of Council Bluffs, was born in Fedeman, West Virginia, December 23, 1861, the son of Manasseh and Mary A. (FLEMMING) McGee, who were both natives of and were married in Pennsylvania. Shortly after marriage they located in Council Bluffs, where the father became interested in real estate, but soon returned to the East and located in Grafton, West Virginia. He died in 1864, leaving a widow and three children, namely; H.G. McGee, one of the most prominent real-estate dealer and business men in Council Bluffs; Anna M., now Mrs. W. S. Cooper, who is also a prominent real-estate, loan and insurance agent at Council Bluffs and J.E.F. McGee, our subject. About 1874 Mrs. McGee and her three children returned to this city, where she now resided with her son in Morningside.

Judge McGee received his education in the public schools of Emsworth, Pennsylvania, Council Bluffs, and at the Cornell College at Mt. Vernon, Iowa. He studied law first with Hon. Leonard Everett, now president of the City Council of Council Bluffs, and concluded his studies with Colonel Dailey. It is perhaps somewhat notable in this connection the number of the present members of the Pottawattamie County Bar who have been trained under Colonel Dailey's guidance. Among such are Mr. Finley Burke, of Burke, Hewett & Casady; Walter I. Smith, now judge of the District Court; the subject of this sketch, Judge McGee; and Mr. Emmet Tinley, one of the most brilliant of the younger members of the bar. Judge McGee was admitted to the Iowa bar in 1886, upon examination by the Supreme Court of the State, and immediately afterward entered into practice. Having exhausted what means he had received form his father's estate in obtaining his education, he was compelled to borrow sufficient money with which to open an office. In the spring of 1887 there was a wonderful advance in real-estate values in Council Bluffs. Earlier than most men, Mr. McGee saw the advance coming and by taking advantage of it made considerable money. Shortly after he began the practice of law, he became associate with Mr. Walter I. Smith, which association was continued until the election of Mr. McGee as Judge of the Superior Court, which occurred in March of 1890, for a term of four years. In a hotly contested election Judge McGee was elected over he then incumbent of the office by between 700 and 800 majority.

In the fall of 1890 Walter I. Smith was elected Judge of the District Court and it is somewhat remarkable that these two gentlemen were called from the same office to the bench in the same year. Judge McGee is one of the youngest men on the bench in Iowa, being now but twenty-nine years of age. His record, however, has given the most complete satisfaction. He is a man of learning, industry, and above all of a high standard of integrity, but even these would not be sufficient to make of him the successful judge and man of business that he is. He is a man of fine and well rounded and natural ability, and one who can readily grasp and master legal distinctions. He is at once a genial and pleasant gentleman, and a firm and dignified judge. He is an active member of the Council Bluffs Board of Trade, is foremost in every public enterprise and has in the few years he has been engaged in active life by his industry, accumulated a large amount of valuable property.