Background
Penfield, Walter Scott was born on February 13, 1879 in Auburn, Indiana, United States. Son of Judge William L. and Lunette (Walter) Penfield.
Penfield, Walter Scott was born on February 13, 1879 in Auburn, Indiana, United States. Son of Judge William L. and Lunette (Walter) Penfield.
Prepared for college at Howe Military School. Bachelor of Arts, University of Michigan, 1900. Bachelor of Laws, George Washington University, 1903.
Attorney Department of State, Washington, District of Columbia, 1901-1904.
Assistant to the United States counsel and American secretary of The Hague Court in arbitration of the Pious fund case bet. Mexico and United States, 1902.
Assistant to the United States and Venezuelan counsel and secretary of delegations to The Hague Court in arbitration of the Venezuelan preferential treatment case, 1903. In practice at Auburn, Indiana, 1904.
City attorney, 1904-1906.
County attorney, 1905-1907. Moved to Washington, District of Columbia, 1907. Offered position assistant United State Attorneys special mission to Cuba for Spanish Treaty Claims Commission, 1908.
Counsel for Mexico in Sanchez Azcona case, 1911.
Appointed attorney Panama Legation, Washington, and of counsel in arbitration as to boundary dispute bet. Costa Rica and Panama, 1912.
Same to Dominican Legation and in controversy as to boundary dispute bet. Hayti and Dominican Republic.
Sometime counsel legations of Nicaragua, Salvador and Venezuela.
Professor international law, Washington College of Law, 1909-1912, United States delegate Pan-American Financial Congress, Washington, 1915 (secretary of Panama-United States group committee). United States delegate and member committee for United States on international law, Pan-American Scientific Congress, Washington, 1915 (secretary United States delegation). Delegate International Peace Congress, San Francisco, 1915.
Counsel for Germany in Appam case, 1916.
Asked to accept offer appointment as adviser in foreign affairs to Siamese Government, 1917. Delegate 2d Pan-American Commercial Conference, Washington, 1919.
Delegate and technical adviser in international law of Panama to Peace Conference, Paris, 1919. Appointed by secretary of the United States Treasurer, member Panama Group Committee of Inter-American High Commission, 1919.
United States delegate and member committee for Panama of 2d Pan-American Financial Congress, Washington, 1920.
Offered appointment solicitor Department of State, 1920.
Member Institute Politics, Williamstown, 1923. Member Academy International Law, The Hague, 1924. Member International Congress History and Geography, Buenos Aires, 1924.
Member National Association Constitutional Government (vice president), American Peace Society (director
Member Executive Committee), American Society International Law, American Bar Association (Vice-President).