Served on the Iowa Supreme Court from February 24, 1876, when he was appointed in compliance with a legislative Act increasing the personnel from four to five members, until December 31, 1896. For four years he was Chief Justice.
Born in New York in 1829, the family moved to Ohio in 1838. He was graduated from Franklin University and admitted to the Ohio bar in 1854. In 1860 he came to Tipton in Cedar County, from which county he was elected to membership in the House of Representatives of the Ninth General Assembly. He was speaker pro tem of that session, He was also a member of the Ninth Extra General Assembly.
He served as a lieutenant colonel in the Civil War and took part in the siege of Vicksburg. In 1866 he was elected Judge of the District Court, which position he continued to hold until coming on the Supreme Bench.
Justice Rothrock died in Cedar Rapids in 1899.