Wikipedia

Richard Priest Dietzman

Richard Priest Dietzman (August 13, 1883 – December 22, 1943) was an American attorney and jurist from Kentucky who served as a member of the Kentucky Court of Appeals from 1924 to 1935, and as chief justice of the court from 1931 to 1933. Prior to being elected to the court, he was a law partner of governor Augustus E. Willson, and served briefly as city attorney of Louisville.

Richard Priest Dietzman
Dietzman, c. 1929
Chief Justice of the Kentucky Court of Appeals
In office
September 21, 1931 – April 10, 1933
Preceded byGus Thomas
Succeeded byWilliam H. Rees
Justice of the Kentucky Court of Appeals
In office
November 18, 1924 – January 7, 1935
Preceded byJoseph T. O'Neal
Succeeded byJames W. Stites
City Attorney of Louisville
In office
July 8, 1924 – November 15, 1924
Preceded byDavid William Fairleigh
Succeeded byW. T. Baskett
Personal details
Born(1883-08-13)August 13, 1883
Louisville, Kentucky
DiedDecember 22, 1943(1943-12-22) (aged 60)
Resting placeCave Hill Cemetery
Louisville, Kentucky
PartyRepublican
Other party
Progressive (1912)
EducationHarvard University (AB, LLB)
Military service
AllegianceUnited States
Branch/serviceUnited States Army
Years of service
1918
Unit50th Training Battery (Field Artillery Central Officer's Training School, Camp Zachary Taylor)
CommandsWorld War I

Early life and education

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Richard Priest Dietzman was born in Louisville, Kentucky, on August 13, 1883, to Albert and Nellie Priest (Chamberlain) Dietzman.[1] His father was affiliated with various newspapers in the city, including the Louisville Commercial, Louisville Critic, and Louisville Dispatch, of which he served as business manager of or owned at different times in his career.[2]

Dietzman attended Louisville Male High School, where he excelled academically, being elected president of the Athenaeum Literary Society, and graduating valedictorian in 1901.[1][3][4] Afterwards, he enrolled at Harvard University.[5]

At Harvard, he received the John Harvard Scholarship, the detur book prize, and was a founder and the first president of the Kentucky Club of Harvard University.[5][6] In 1905, he graduated magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa with an Artium Baccalaureus degree.[1] Following graduation, he remained at Harvard Law School where he was an editor of the Harvard Law Review.[7] He graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Laws degree in 1907, and afterwards returned to Kentucky.[1]

Early career

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After being admitted to the Kentucky bar in 1907, Dietzman joined the law practice of Augustus E. Willson, who was then the Republican nominee for governor.[8][9] After Willson was elected governor, Dietzman was a member of the train party which accompanied Willson to Frankfort.[10] He continued to practice law with Willson, including during and after his tenure as governor.[11][12][13]

In August 1918, Dietzman enlisted in the United States Army for service in World War I.[13] He was assigned to enter the Field Artillery Central Officer's Training School (F.A.C.O.T.S.) at Camp Zachary Taylor in Louisville, which at the time was the largest army training camp in North America.[13][14][15] However, due to the 1918 Spanish flue pandemic, his entry was delayed until late October.[13] He spent his early training with the 9th Observation Battery before joining the 50th Training Battery.[13] However, due to the armistice being signed on November 11, he chose to accept a discharge in early December.[13]

In addition to practicing law alongside Willson, Dietzman joined the faculty of the Jefferson School of Law, a part-time night law school founded in 1905.[16][17][18] By 1920, he was the school's chair of pleading and practice.[13]

Early political involvement

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Dietzman's political activities first became pronounced with his support for former president Theadore Roosevelt in the 1912 United States presidential election. During that year's city and county Republican Party convention, held at the Galt House in Louisville, the national split between supporters of Roosevelt and supporters of incumbent president William Howard Taft came to a boil as many Roosevelt committeemen of both the city and county parties were not permitted to be seated, and asked to leave the meeting. The Roosevelt supporters contested this, and after the Taft majority adjourned, chose to hold their own meeting where they heard testimony regarding alleged fraud committed by Taft supporters.[19]

Dietzman was one of those who were called on to provide testimony, during which he alleged that Taft supporters prevented Roosevelt supporters in Jefferson County from receiving their credentials to serve as election officers, instead giving them to Taft men. He also allegedly witnessed two Taft supporters stuffing a ballot box with about fifty Taft ballots.[19]

In August, the Progressive Party of Jefferson County was formed, and Dietzman was elected its president.[20]

Municipal service

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In October 1922, Louisville mayor Huston Quin appointed Dietzman as mayoral counsel, a position which had not been filled since Quin assumed office the year prior.[1][21] He remained in this role until February 1923, when he was appointed first assistant city attorney as part of a departmental reshuffling due to the election of city attorney Maurice Thatcher to Congress.[1][22] During his tenure, he was tasked by the city's police chief and board of public safety with drafting the state's first law against driving under the influence.[23] The law, which mandatorily revoked a convicted driver's license for a year, was passed by the 1924 Kentucky General Assembly, and signed into law by Governor William J. Fields.[24][25]

Following the death of city attorney David William Fairleigh, Dietzman was appointed to the position in July 1924, serving as such until his election to the Kentucky Court of Appeals that November.[26]

Kentucky Court of Appeals

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Election

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Kentucky's 4th Court of Appeals district, which consists of only Jefferson County, changed hands rapidly from 1921 to 1924. Huston Quin was elected to the seat in 1918, but resigned after being elected mayor of Louisville in 1921. Governor Edwin P. Morrow appointed Charles Harwood Moorman to the seat, but he resigned after being appointed U.S. district judge of the Western District of Kentucky in 1924. Henry W. Robinson was elected to the seat in a special election, but he soon thereafter died of an illness. Governor Fields then appointed Joseph T. O'Neal to the seat, who chose not be a candidate in the subsequent special election held that November.[27][28]

Dietzman announced his intent to seek the Republican nomination for the seat prior to his appointment as city attorney.[29] He received the nomination, and campaigned alongside congressman Maurice Thatcher in support of the Republican ticket headed by President Calvin Coolidge.[30][31] Dietzman won the November election with 59,936 votes (54.5%) against Democratic nominee David R. Castleman.[32][33] He resigned as city attorney on November 15, and assumed office three days later.[27][34] He was renominated without opposition for a full term in 1926, and won the general election with 50,054 votes (53.5%) against Democratic nominee James P. Gregory.[35][36]

Tenure

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Just over ten days after assuming office, Dietzman published his first opinion as a member of the court.[37] In span of one month, he wrote sixteen opinions.[38] Later in his tenure, he drafted one of the shortest opinions the court ever issued, consisting of just sixty words due to one party failing to file a brief.[39]

In 1926, he wrote the court's majority opinion striking down an early version of the Legislative Research Commission. The General Assembly had passed an "extra help" joint resolution in 1924, which allocated funds for both chambers to hire additional employees. In his opinion, Dietzmen lamented how overburdened the legislature had become, but emphasized that they were not permit to expand the number of direct legislative employees beyond those outlined in the text of the state's constitution.[40] In a speech to students at the University of Kentucky College of Law given shortly thereafter, he advocated for the passage of a new constitution.[41]

Lt. Governor Happy Chandler (L) with Dietzman (R) following the 1931 gubernatorial inauguration.

A notable case which generated both controversy and praise around Dietzman concerned the 1925 Louisville and Jefferson County local elections, where it was alleged that a Republican conspiracy had engaged in ballot stuffing. Dietzman, who himself was discussed as a potential candidate for mayor that year but declined, chose not to recuse himself from the case.[42] This decision drew backlash due to his relation by marriage to one of the candidates as well as the fact that his brother served as chief deputy jailer, a position appointed by the elected county jailer.[43] However, when the court ruled 5–1 to overturn the election, with Dietzman joining the Democratic majority, he was praised for his "highly courageous" action.[1][44] In writing about the decision, the Louisville Courier-Journal stated that "Judge Dietzman shows that he is an upright, fearless jurist before he is a Republican. It is of such as Dietzman that our courts must ever be constituted if they are to remain the bulwarks of our institutions."[44]

For the summer of 1930, he joined the faculty of Northwestern University School of Law.[45]

Chief Justice

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On September 21, 1931, Dietzman was elevated to chief justice of the court.[46] During his time leading the court, he continued his advocacy for the adoption of a new state constitution, citing the lack of regulatory safeguards around the accrual of the state's debt, and the need to ensure that "people will not be crushed by a burden of taxation to pay for things which cannot be afforded."[47] The state also adopted his compilation of civil and criminal practice as the state's official code of practice.[48]

He remained as chief justice until he yielded the position to justice William H. Rees at the opening of the court's spring term on April 10, 1933.[49]

Electoral defeat

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In November 1934, Dietzman was defeated for reelection by Democratic nominee James W. Stites. When he left office on January 7, 1935, it marked the first time in many years that all seven members of the court were Democrats.[50]

Later life and career

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After leaving the court, Dietzman returned to the practice of law, making his office in the Kentucky Home Life Building.[51] He came to be regarded as the dean of the Kentucky Bar Association.[52]

Despite being discussed as a potential candidate for governor in 1935, he never ran for another public office.[53]

In 1941, following allegations of corruption made by attorney general Hubert Meredith against Governor Keen Johnson, Johnson appointed Dietzman to lead an investigative committee into his administration's division of purchases. The committee found evidence of inefficiency, negligence, and favoritism in the division, and gave a number of recommendations to address these issues. Johnson asked Dietzman to draft a bill to implement these recommendations.[54]

Personal life

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On November 13, 1935, Dietzman married Esther Elizabeth Sesmer, the daughter of a prominent Louisville physician who immigrated to the city from Russia.[55][56][57] Together, they had two daughters, Elizabeth and Anne.[51]

Dietzman was active in many civil, fraternal, and social organizations throughout his life. He was a member of the Episcopal Church, Filson Historical Society, Kentucky Historical Society, and Order of the Elks.[51] He served as chairman of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Cincinnati's board of directors, trustee and general counsel of Kings Daughters' Home for Incurables, and president of the Louisville Masonic Widows and Orphans Home board of directors.[13][51][58]

He also held several high leadership roles in freemasonry, including grand master of his local lodge and Scottish rite, high priest of King Solomon Chapter 5 R.A.M., and thrice illustrious master of Louisville Council 4 R.&S.M.[13][59] Notably, he served as grand master of the grand council of Kentucky R&SM from 1923 to 1924, grand master of the grand lodge of Kentucky from 1933 to 1934, and later as right eminent grand commander of the Grand Commandery of the Kentucky Knights Templar.[51][60][61]

Death and legacy

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On December 20, 1943, Dietzman suffered a stroke while at his law office.[62] After being found by employees at his desk, he was transported to Saint Anthony's Hospital, where he died two days later from pneumonia.[51][62] His funeral was held on Christmas Eve, and he was interred at Cave Hill Cemetery.[63]

Dietzman served as president of the Louisville Masonic Widows and Orphans Home board of directors. After his death, the home's library was rededicated in his honor.

After his death, a list of books he intended to find and donate to the Louisville Masonic Widows and Orphans Home was found on his desk. After the note was discovered, cash gifts and book donations swelled the library to contain 6,000 volumes. In March 1944, the library was rededicated as the "Richard Priest Dietzman Memorial Library."[64]

A portrait of Dietzman, painted by Samuel McDowell, was presented to the Kentucky Court of Appeals by his wife in 1945.[65][66]

In November 1963, Governor Bert Combs called the General Assembly into a special session in-part to address issues which had become prevalent concerning Kentucky's judicial branch. Among them, Combs called for judiciary elections to be made nonpartisan, citing the electoral defeats of Dietzman and Simeon Willis as depriving the state of "two of our ablest judges" due to them being Republicans.[67] While not enacted during that special session, nonpartisan judicial elections later became law as part of the judicial reform article of 1976.[68]

Publications

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Articles

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  • "The Practice Act of 1930." Kentucky Law Journal 22, no. 1 (1933): 92–98.[69]
  • "Constitutional Limitations on Public Indebtedness." Kentucky Law Journal 20, no. 1 (1931): 75–92.[70]
  • "The Kentucky Law Reports and Reporters." Kentucky Law Journal 16, no. 1 (1927): 16–27.[71]
  • "The Four Constitutions of Kentucky." Kentucky Law Journal 15, no. 2 (1927): 116–127.[72]

Book reviews

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  • “The Critical Court Struggle in Kentucky, by Arndt M. Stickles.” Kentucky Law Journal 18, no. 2 (1930): 199–200.[73]

Books

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  • Carroll, John D., and Richard Priest Dietzman. Carroll’s Kentucky Statutes Annotated. 8th ed. Edited by William Edward Baldwin. Banks-Baldwin Publishing Company, 1933.

References

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  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Jonas, E.A. (1929). A History of the Republican Party in Kentucky. Louisville, KY: John P. Morton & Company. pp. 133, 148.
  2. ↑ "Col. R.M. Kelly..." Kentucky Advocate. April 22, 1898. p. 2. Retrieved June 16, 2026.
  3. ↑ "Mr. Richard Priest Dietzman..." Louisville Courier-Journal. March 2, 1901. p. 6. Retrieved June 16, 2026.
  4. ↑ "Forty-Third Year of the Male High School Marks its End Tonight". Louisville Courier-Journal. June 19, 1901. p. 5. Retrieved June 16, 2026.
  5. 1 2 "Louisville Boy's Success at College". Louisville Courier-Journal. December 20, 1903. p. 7. Retrieved June 16, 2026.
  6. ↑ "Kentuckians at Harvard". Louisville Courier-Journal. December 21, 1903. p. 4. Retrieved June 16, 2026.
  7. ↑ "Masthead". Harvard Law Review. 20 – via HathiTrust.
  8. ↑ "Dietzman is Back - Local Boy Enters Willson's Law Office". Louisville Herald. July 28, 1907. p. 11. Retrieved June 16, 2026.
  9. ↑ Hinckley, Samuel Neilson (June 1915). Harvard College Class of 1905 Decennial Report: June 1915. pp. 132–33.
  10. ↑ "Reception at Tarleton Residence". Louisville Courier-Journal. December 10, 1907. p. 1. Retrieved June 25, 2026.
  11. ↑ "Governor A.E. Willson Appears in Court". Louisville Herald. December 11, 1908. p. 2. Retrieved June 25, 2026.
  12. ↑ "Gov. Willson Wins Two Cases". Louisville Courier-Journal. May 19, 1909. p. 12. Retrieved June 25, 2026.
  13. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Thornton, Lewis M. Harvard College Class of 1905 Fourth Report: June 1920. Norwood, Massachusetts: Plimpton Press. pp. 102–03.
  14. ↑ "Louisville, Kentucky and the 1918-1919 Influenza Epidemic | The American Influenza Epidemic of 1918: A Digital Encyclopedia". Influenza Encyclopedia. University of Michigan. Retrieved 2026-06-27.
  15. ↑ Walters, Raymond (1919). F.A.C.O.T.S. - The Story of the Field Artillery Central Officers Training School (PDF). New York: The Knickerbocker Press. p. 206.
  16. ↑ "Jefferson School of Law". Louisville Courier-Journal. September 22, 1919. p. 6. Retrieved June 16, 2026.
  17. ↑ "The merger between The Jefferson School of Law and The University of Louisville Historical Marker". www.hmdb.org. Retrieved 2026-06-27.
  18. ↑ Walker, Marcus (October 2019). "Third Time's the Charm: The History of the Merger Between the University of Louisville and Jefferson Schools of Law". Louisville Bar Association's Bar Briefs: 5 – via University of Louisville Faculty and Staff Scholarship.
  19. 1 2 "Seat Roosevelt Men After Row". Louisville Courier-Journal. April 21, 1912. p. 9. Retrieved June 26, 2026.
  20. ↑ "Forty Progressives Meet". Louisville Courier-Journal. August 4, 1912. p. 33. Retrieved June 27, 2026.
  21. ↑ "R.P. Dietzman Named to Mayor's Counsel Post". Louisville Courier-Journal. October 4, 1922. p. 11. Retrieved June 16, 2026.
  22. ↑ "Mayor Appoints Three Legal Aids for City". Louisville Courier-Journal. February 28, 1923. p. 3. Retrieved June 27, 2026.
  23. ↑ "City Seeks Law to License Drivers". Louisville Courier-Journal. January 30, 1924. p. 16. Retrieved June 27, 2026.
  24. ↑ "Chapter 46". Acts of the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky. 1924. pp. 69–70.
  25. ↑ "Now for Enforcement". The Cynthiana Democrat. April 3, 1924. p. 10. Retrieved June 27, 2026.
  26. ↑ "Promoted to City Attorney". Louisville Courier-Journal. July 9, 1924. p. 3. Retrieved June 17, 2026.
  27. 1 2 "Judge Dieztman Sworn into Place on Appeals Bench". Park City Daily. Bowling Green, Kentucky. November 18, 1924. p. 7. Retrieved June 17, 2026.
  28. ↑ "By virtue of Tuesday's election..." The State Journal. Frankfort, Kentucky. November 1, 1924. p. 4. Retrieved June 17, 2026.
  29. ↑ "F. M. Sackett may be G.O.P. Nominee for Senate Body". Louisville Courier-Journal. April 1, 1924. p. 3. Retrieved June 27, 2026.
  30. ↑ "State ticket complete". The Messenger. Owensboro, Kentucky. September 28, 1924. p. 2. Retrieved June 17, 2026.
  31. ↑ "Thatcher and Dietzman Talk at Jeffersontown". The Louisville Herald. October 22, 1924. p. 16. Retrieved June 17, 2026.
  32. ↑ "Errors hit Thatcher". Louisville Courier-Journal. November 16, 1924. p. 10. Retrieved June 17, 2026.
  33. ↑ "Statement of Official Vote". The State Journal. Frankfort, Kentucky. December 13, 1924. p. 7. Retrieved June 17, 2026.
  34. ↑ "Dietzman quits". Louisville Courier-Journal. November 11, 1924. p. 1. Retrieved June 17, 2026.
  35. ↑ "Three Democrats Entered". Louisville Courier-Journal. June 29, 2026. p. 3. Retrieved June 28, 2026.
  36. ↑ "Returns Received on Appellate Judge Elections". The State Journal. November 19, 1926. p. 6. Retrieved June 28, 2026.
  37. ↑ "Compensation Allowed Widow". The State Journal. Frankfort, Kentucky. November 29, 1924. p. 1. Retrieved June 17, 2026.
  38. ↑ "Court of Appeals". Louisville Courier-Journal. December 20, 1924. p. 5. Retrieved June 17, 2026.
  39. ↑ "Judge Dietzman Writes One Shortest Opinions One Brief Not Filed". The State Journal. October 21, 1930. p. 1. Retrieved June 29, 2026.
  40. ↑ ""Extra" Help in Assembly is Held Void". Park City Daily News. Bowling Green, Kentucky. February 26, 1926. p. 1. Retrieved June 17, 2026.
  41. ↑ "Hear Judge Dietzman". Lexington Leader. April 14, 1926. p. 1. Retrieved June 27, 2026.
  42. ↑ "GOP Leaders Confer Again Over Nominee". Louisville Courier-Journal. June 24, 1925. p. 1. Retrieved June 17, 2026.
  43. ↑ "Objects to a Judge". Louisville Courier-Journal. March 21, 1927. p. 6. Retrieved June 28, 2026.
  44. 1 2 "Fraud Frustrated". Louisville Courier-Journal. June 15, 1927. p. 6. Retrieved June 28, 2026.
  45. ↑ "Judge Dietzman is Given High Honor". Louisville Courier-Journal. May 30, 1930. p. 1. Retrieved June 29, 2026.
  46. ↑ "Judge Dietzman Now Chief Justice". Louisville Courier-Journal. September 22, 1931. p. 3. Retrieved June 30, 2026.
  47. ↑ "Need to Revise Constitution of State is Cited by Speaker". Louisville Courier-Journal. October 2, 1931. p. 1. Retrieved June 30, 2026.
  48. ↑ "Governor Approves Bill Adopting Dietzman Code". The State Journal. March 24, 1932. p. 1. Retrieved June 30, 2026.
  49. ↑ "Judge Rees". The Daily Bulletin. Maysville, Kentucky. April 11, 1933. p. 1. Retrieved June 21, 2026.
  50. ↑ "W. R. Clay to Become Chief Justice Today". The Daily Independent. January 7, 1935. p. 3. Retrieved June 30, 2026.
  51. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Judge Dietzman Dies of Pneumonia". Louisville Courier-Journal. December 23, 1943. p. 1. Retrieved June 29, 2026.
  52. ↑ Perkins, Fred W. (September 4, 1936). "Kentucky Launches Drive to Oust Company Sheriffs". The Washington Daily News. p. 25. Retrieved June 25, 2026.
  53. ↑ "3 Outstanding Republicans Given Mention". The Public Ledger. January 2, 1935. p. 2. Retrieved June 30, 2026.
  54. ↑ The Public Papers of Governor Keen Johnson, 1939-1943. University Press of Kentucky. 1982. pp. 94–95.
  55. ↑ Southard, Mary Young, ed. (1936). Who's Who in Kentucky. Louisville, Kentucky: The Standard Printing Co. p. 112.
  56. ↑ "Dr. Samuel Sesmer Expires at Hospital". Louisville Courier-Journal. November 10, 1931. p. 18. Retrieved June 30, 2026.
  57. ↑ "Sesmer–Dietzman". Louisville Courier-Journal. November 14, 1935. p. 9. Retrieved June 30, 2026.
  58. ↑ "Judge Dietzman Named Bank Board Chairman". Louisville Courier-Journal. January 2, 1941. p. 13. Retrieved June 30, 2026.
  59. ↑ "Lodge Notices". Louisville Courier-Journal. March 17, 1923. p. 11. Retrieved June 29, 2026.
  60. ↑ "Grand Master Detail, Richard Priest Dietzman – The Grand Lodge of Kentucky F. & A.M." 2026-06-06. Retrieved 2026-06-29.
  61. ↑ "Grand Commandry Meets in Richmond". The Estill Herald. May 13, 1943. p. 3. Retrieved June 29, 2026.
  62. 1 2 "Dietzman 'Very Sick' Doctor Say". Louisville Courier-Journal. December 21, 1943. p. 13. Retrieved June 29, 2026.
  63. ↑ "Announcements - Deaths". Louisville Courier-Journal. December 24, 1943. p. 15. Retrieved June 30, 2026.
  64. ↑ "Library Given Masonic Home in Memory of Judge Dietzman". Louisville Courier-Journal. March 27, 1944. p. 9. Retrieved June 29, 2026.
  65. ↑ "Appeals Court gets Picture of Dietzman". Louisville Courier-Journal. June 16, 1945. p. 5. Retrieved June 29, 2026.
  66. ↑ "Judge R. P. Dietzman to be Memorialized". Louisville Courier-Journal. June 14, 1945. p. 11. Retrieved June 29, 2026.
  67. ↑ The Public Papers of Governor Bert T. Combs, 1959-1963. University Press of Kentucky. 1979. pp. 79–80.
  68. ↑ Metzmeier, Kurt (December 2006). "A Constitutional Amendment to Reform Kentucky's Courts". University of Louisville Faculty and Staff Scholarship. 740: 19 – via University of Louisville.
  69. ↑ Dietzman, Richard Priest (1933). "The Practice Act of 1930". Kentucky Law Journal. 22 (1): 92–98.
  70. ↑ Dietzman, Richard Priest (1931). "Constitutional Limitations on Public Indebtedness". Kentucky Law Journal. 20 (1): 75–92.
  71. ↑ Dietzman, Richard Priest (1927). "The Kentucky Law Reports and Reporters". Kentucky Law Journal. 16 (1): 16–27.
  72. ↑ Dietzman, Richard Priest (1927). "The Four Constitutions of Kentucky". Kentucky Law Journal. 15 (2): 116–127.
  73. ↑ Dietzman, Richard Priest (1930). "The Critical Court Struggle in Kentucky, by Arndt M. Stickles". Kentucky Law Journal. 18 (2): 199–200.
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