lawyer, politician, judge, b. Lake County, Ill. He moved with his parents to Jefferson County, Wis., in 1877. He graduated from the Univ. of Wisconsin (B.A., 1893; LL.B., 1895), was admitted to the bar, and set up a law practice in Madison, where from 1895 to 1903 he practiced in partnership with Burr W. Jones (q.v.). A Republican, Stevens was state assemblyman (1901-1902). In 1903 he was appointed by Governor Robert M. La Follette, Sr., as circuit judge of the 9th judicial circuit to fill the unexpired term of Robert G. Siebecker (q.v.). Stevens was elected to the judgeship in 1908, was twice re-elected, and continued in this position until 1925, when he was elected to the state supreme court. Stevens served on the high court bench from Jan., 1926, until his death. He was president of the State Historical Society of Wisconsin (1919-1925). Who's Who in Amer., 13 (1924); Wis. Blue Book (1927); E. B. Usher, Wis. (8 vols., Chicago, 1914); Madison Wis. State Journal, Aug. 25, 1930.

The Wisconsin Historical Society has manuscripts related to this topic. See the catalog description of the E. Ray Stevens Papers for details.

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[Source: Blue book]