lawyer military politician Soldier
Holmes Conrad was born on January 31, 1840 at Winchester, Virginia, United States. His father was Robert Young Conrad, a prominent lawyer of Winchester, and state attorney-general from 1857 to 1862. His mother was Elizabeth Whiting, daughter of Burr Powell.
Holmes Conrad’s education was received at the primary schools and Virginia Military Institute, whence he proceeded in 1858 to the University of Virginia, graduating in 1860.
About 1860 Conrad worked as a school-teacher. On the outbreak of civil war, he enlisted as a private in Company A, 1st Virginia Cavalry, April 17, 1861, and saw active service throughout the contest. Commissioned lieutenant, he was appointed adjutant in August 1862, and in 1864 became major and assistant inspector-general of Rosser’s cavalry division, serving as such till the termination of hostilities.
In 1865 he commenced the study of law in his father’s office at Winchester, and on his admission to the Virginia bar in January 1866, joined his father in practise. A strong Democrat, the active interest he displayed in political affairs assisted in bringing him to the front, and in 1878 he was elected to the Virginia legislature, serving till 1882.
In 1893 President Cleveland appointed him assistant attorney-general of the United States and in 1895 he became solicitor-general. On his vacating office in 1897 he was retained by President McKinley on behalf of the federal government in Morris vs. United States, the “Potomac Flats Case, ” which involved the title to the shore front of Washington. In October 1901 he joined the law faculty of Georgetown University as lecturer on the history of English law, at a later date taking over in addition the lectureship on the history and development of law and comparative jurisprudence.
In 1904 he was again retained on behalf of the federal government as special prosecutor in the Postal Fraud Cases. During the last twenty years of his life he was constantly engaged in appeals before the Supreme Court where his outstanding ability had wide scope. He achieved his greatest success in the last case he was engaged on, Commonwealth of Virginia vs. State of West Virginia, involving the amount of the contributive share that the latter state should pay toward the public debt of the former. Appearing as counsel for Virginia, Conrad’s argument upon the demurrer in the United States Supreme Court (206 U. S. 290) was in professional circles considered remarkable. Judgment was ultimately given against West Virginia for $12, 393, 929. 50 principal and interest up to June 14, 1915. For this complicated and long-drawn-out litigation he was specially retained by the bond-holding creditors.
Conrad was a member of the Democratic Party.
Conrad was of striking appearance, tall of stature with an erect military bearing throughout his life. Though wielding great political influence in his state, he did not care for public office. By nature somewhat of an aristocrat and reserved in manner, he was never what the politicians termed a “good mixer. ” He had an extreme distaste for the routine of office work.
Holmes Conrad was married to Georgia Bryan, the daughter of Thomas Bryan Forman of Brunswick, Georgia.
