Jefferson County Online A part of the IAGenWeb and USGenWeb Projects Who's Who in Jefferson County, 1931 Otto J. Eckey

"The Fairfield Daily Ledger"
Thursday, September 3, 1931
Front Page

Who's Who In Jefferson County
By Herbert F. McDougal

OTTO J. ECKEY

It was more of a "hunch" than an ambition that led County Attorney Otto J. Eckey, back in his high school days, to take the subjects that would be useful to a lawyer. He did not especially burn with zeal to become a barrister, but he felt the trend of his life in that direction.

So he just followed his bent through high school, college and law school, and found that he was headed toward a career at the bar.

He was born near Mount Union, Iowa, October 30, 1898, and attended the Mount Union public school until the family moved to Fairfield in 1912. He was graduated from the Fairfield High school in 1917 and went to Principia college in St. Louis for two years, going on from there to his junior year in the University of Iowa where he received his A. B. in 1923, and his bachelor of laws degree two years later.

In the meantime, however, he had been for a year in the sales department of Thoma & Sons here.

With two perfectly good diplomas to adorn the walls of his office, he set up in the practice of law in Newton, remaining there a year. He came to Fairfield in 1928 and opened his office in the Wilson building on South Court street, and a year later, when the Chamber of Commerce was looking for a secretary, he was elected to that position. It was a fortunate connection, both for the chamber and for him, for he was well adapted for the duties of the place. He studied the problems of the organization, and analyzed them so logically and lucidly and without bias that he made a name for himself as a clear thinker and a person of calm judgment. The connection gave him many contacts and widened his acquaintanceship so that, when he ran for the office of county attorney, he was elected by a satisfactory majority. He went into office the first of the present year, and is conducting the duties of the office to the satisfaction of the general public.

Mr. Eckey is a man without fads or hobbies. He finds in the domain of the law ample field for diversion without recourse to golf, garden or fishing.

He married Miss Oressa Moffitt of Newton, April 15, 1922 while he was still a student at the state university. They have three children--Winifred Jeanette, Celia Oressa and Mary Victoria.

Mr. Eckey is a member of the Forum, Walton club, the Second Judicial and Iowa State Bar associations and the Iowa County Attorneys association. He is a member of the executive committees of the district association.