William Lee Knous
William Lee Knous | |
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 | |
| 31st Governor of Colorado | |
In office January 14, 1947 – April 15, 1950 | |
| Lieutenant | Homer L. Pearson (1947–1949) Walter W. Johnson (1949–1950) |
| Preceded by | John C. Vivian |
| Succeeded by | Walter W. Johnson |
| Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Colorado | |
In office April 1950 – December 11, 1959 | |
| Nominated by | Harry S. Truman |
| Preceded by | John Foster Symes |
| Succeeded by | Olin Hatfield Chilson |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1889-02-02)February 2, 1889 Ouray, Colorado, U.S. |
| Died | December 11, 1959(1959-12-11) (aged 70) Denver, Colorado, U.S. |
| Nationality | American |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Alma mater | University of Colorado School of Law |
William Lee Knous (February 2, 1889 – December 11, 1959) was a Colorado Democratic state legislator, state Supreme Court justice and the 31st Governor of Colorado, and a U.S. district judge.
He was born in Ouray, Colorado, the son of John Franklin Knous and Julia (Bain) Knous. He graduated from the University of Colorado School of Law in 1911.
Contents
1 Political career
2 Federal judicial career
3 Family life
4 Sources
5 References
6 External links
Political career
He moved to Montrose, Colorado, and subsequently became mayor, city attorney and deputy district attorney, and in 1929, was elected to the Colorado House of Representatives. He was elected to the Colorado Senate in 1931, where he served as president pro tempore in 1935 and 1936.
In 1936, he was elected to the Colorado Supreme Court and moved to Denver, Colorado. He was elevated to Chief Justice in 1946, and was elected governor of the state the same year. Running for re-election in 1948, he carried every county in the state but one.
Federal judicial career
In 1950, Knous was appointed to the United States District Court for the District of Colorado. Knous was nominated by President Harry S. Truman on March 1, 1950, to a seat vacated by John Foster Symes. He was confirmed by the United States Senate on April 4, 1950, and received commission on April 7, 1950. He served as chief judge from 1954 until his death on December 11, 1959. He was entombed in the Fairmount Mausoleum at Fairmount Cemetery in Denver.
According to the Colorado state archives, "He became the only man in the state ever to have occupied the highest seat in the legislative, judicial, and executive branches of government."
Family life
Knous was the son of John Franklin Knous and Julia (Bain) Knous. The elder Knous, a miner, had moved with his wife from Iowa to Colorado. William married Elsie Marie Grabow on July 1, 1915. They had three children, William John, Robert Lee, and Merle Ray.
His son, Robert Lee Knous, was subsequently a lieutenant governor of Colorado from 1959 to 1967.
Sources
William Lee Knous at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a public domain publication of the Federal Judicial Center.
References
 | This article includes a list of references, related reading or external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks inline citations. (August 2009) (Learn how and when to remove this template message) |
External links
The Governors of Colorado
- The Governor William Lee Knous Collection at the Colorado State Archives
William Lee Knous at Find a Grave
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by John Charles Vivian | Governor of Colorado 1947–1950 | Succeeded by Walter Walford Johnson |
| Legal offices | ||
| Preceded by John Foster Symes | Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Colorado 1950–1959 | Succeeded by Olin Hatfield Chilson |
Governors of Colorado | ||
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| Territorial '"`UNIQ--templatestyles-00000004-QINU`"' (1861–76) |
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| State (since 1876) |
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