I.

Introduction

Charles Evans Hughes (1862-1948), American jurist and statesman, thought by many to have been the greatest chief justice of the United States since John Marshall.

Hughes was born in Glens Falls, New York, on April 11, 1862. He was educated at Brown University and the law school of Columbia University. In 1884 he was admitted to the New York bar and practiced law in New York City for most of the following 22 years. In 1905, Hughes served as counsel for special committees of the New York state legislature investigating both the gas companies of New York City and the financial practices of life insurance companies in the state. He established a national reputation for fearless integrity, and his findings resulted in a reorganization of the state laws governing life insurance companies and became a model for subsequent similar inquiries.