William E. Miller (1870 - 1875)
Served on the Iowa
Supreme Court from September 14, 1870, when he was appointed to fill the
vacancy occasioned by the retirement of Elias H. Williams, until December 31,
1875, For two years he was Chief Justice.
Born in Westmoreland
County, Pennsylvania, in 1823. His early vocation was that of a molder in his
father's iron foundry. By studying law in his leisure hours, at this time and
later while a reporter on newspapers at Iowa City, he was able to gain
admission to the bar in 1853. In 1857 he was elected Judge of the District
Court. During the Civil War he was a colonel in the Union army.
After the war he was
again elected to the District Bench which position he held when appointed to
the Supreme Bench.
Justice Miller was the
compiler and editor of the Codes of Iowa known as "Miller's Code".
He died in Des Moines in
1896.