Webster, J. Stanley (John Stanley), 1877-1962

United States Representative in Congress from Washington State, 1919-1923, and United States District Court Judge, Spokane, Washington, 1923-1939.

John Stanley Webster was born in Cynthiana, Harrison County, Kentucky on February 22, 1877. He attended public school and Smith's Classical School for Boys. After studing law at the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor from 1897 to 1899 he returned home to Harrison County to practice law and then, 1902-1906, serve as Prosecuting Attorney. After successfully prosecuting a particularly difficult and extended case involving family feuds and murder, Webster left Kentucky and moved to Spokane, Washington, in May 1906. There he established a small law practice which he combined with efforts at farming. He became Chief Assistant Prosecuting Attorney for Spokane County in 1907 and the following year married Mary Gertrude Lathrum, daughter of John Lathrum, longtime sheriff of Whitman County. In 1909, Acting Governor M. E. Hay appointed Webster to the bench as Judge of the Superior Court for Spokane County, a position he held until 1916. Webster served as Associate Justice of the State Supreme Court from 1916 to 1918. He was elected to the U. S. House of Representatives from the 5th Congressional District of Washington in November 1918 and served in the House from March 4, 1919 to May 8, 1923 when he resigned to become U. S. District Court Judge for the Eastern District of Washington. He served in that capacity until August 1, 1938, when he retired owing to ill health. Judge Webster was a resident of Spokane, Washington until his death on December 24, 1962.