Background
Cross, Joseph was born on December 29, 1843 in near Morristown, New Jersey, United States. Son of William and Sarah M. Cross.
Cross, Joseph was born on December 29, 1843 in near Morristown, New Jersey, United States. Son of William and Sarah M. Cross.
Born near Morristown, New Jersey, Cross attended Princeton College, receiving an Bachelor of Arts in 1865 and an Master of Arts in 1868. He attended Columbia Law School, but read law to enter the profession.
He had a private practice in Elizabeth, New Jersey, from 1869 to 1905. On March 13, 1905, Cross was nominated by President Theodore Roosevelt to a new seat on the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey created by 33 Statistics 987. Cross was confirmed by the United States Senate on March 17, 1905, and received his commission that day.
He served on the court until his death.
During that period, he was also a Judge of the state District Court of Elizabeth from 1888 to 1891, and a member of the New Jersey General Assembly from 1893 to 1895, serving as its Speaker in 1895, a member of the New Jersey State Senate from 1899 to 1905, serving as President of the senate in 1905.