Biographies
For
Muscatine County Iowa
1889



Source: Portrait and Biographical Album, Muscatine County, Iowa, 1889, page 563

HON. WILLIAM F. BRANNAN, a prominent attorney of Muscatine, and Judge of the Seventh Judicial District of Iowa, was born in the capital city of our country, on the 24th of September, 1824. He is a son of John and Mary ( McLeod ) Brannan, who were natives of Ireland, and who emigrated to America in the early part of the present century, locating in Washington, D. C. Soon after becoming residents of the United States, his father enlisted in the United States service, doing duty in the war department. He afterward served as messenger in the same office.

The primary education of our subject was obtained in the common schools, while his higher education was obtained in McLeod Academy. When sixteen years of age, he entered the Globe printing office at Washington as an apprentice and there remained until the summer of 1842, when he went to Hagerstown, Md., where he taught school for a number of years. In the meantime, choosing the profession of law for his life work, he began its study, and in 1846, was admitted to the bar. The following year, he took editorial charge of the Hagerstown Mail, a paper which is still in existence. In this work he continued until 1852, when he opened an office, hung out his shingle and began to practice his profession, making a specialty of chancery cases. In the spring of 1855, following the advice of Horace Greeley, he came West and located in Muscatine, Iowa, where he has since continued to reside. In a short time he secured a fine practice and has since been one of the leading members of the bar in the State of Iowa.

In his political views,Mr. Brannan has always been a Democrat, though in no sense has he ever been an office-seeker. In 1856 he was nominated by his party associates as a member of the convention to revise the Constitution of the State. Notwithstanding his party was then greatly in the minority, he succeeded in reducing the Republican majority as against him, from 200 to only fifteen votes. In 1858, when the present school law came into force, he was elected County Superintendent of schools of Muscatine County and served one term, filling the office to the satisfaction of his constituents. During his term the school districts were reorganized and much extra work was required of the Superintendent in order to have everything in conformity with the law. In 1868 he was delegate to the Democratic National Convention which nominated for the Presidency Horatio Seymour, of New York, and in 1884 was a delegate and one of the vice presidents of the convention that nominated Grover Cleveland for the Presidency. In April, 1872, Mr. Brannan was appointed to fill a vacancy as Judge of the District Court, caused by the resignation of J. Scott Richman of the Seventh Judicial District. He was appointed to that position by Gov. C. C. Carpenter, who was his opponent in politics, on the recommendation of the bar of the district. At the regular election in that year, he was elected to fill out the unexpired term, and re-elected in 1874, for a full term, and both times without opposition, though the district was largely opposed to him politically. In 1875 he resigned the office of District Judge and again entered upon the regular practice of his profession. In 1869, and again in 1885, he was nominated by acclamation for the Supreme Bench by his party, but was unable to overcome the large Republican majority in the State. On the reorganization of the judicial system in 1886, he was elected one of the Judges of the Seventh Judicial District by a large majority, notwithstanding he had declared himself not a candidate. In 1858 he was appointed by the legislature as one of the trustees of the Iowa State University, and was for several years President of the Schoool Board of the city of Muscatine.

Judge Brannan is an able lawyer, upright and honorable in all his dealings, having the confidence of the entire bar and people as well, and since coming to Muscatine County, has served her interests with an ardor and fidelity equaled by few. A fine portrait of the Judge accompanies this brief sketch.


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