Page:History of Iowa From the Earliest Times to the Beginning of the Twentieth Century Volume 4.djvu/340

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standard code of the State. In 1881, Mr. McClain was appointed professor in the Law Department of the State University, removing to Iowa City where he was made Vice-Chancellor in 1887 and Chancellor in 1890. He has been long a law writer; his principal works are: “Outlines of Criminal Law,” 1884; “Synopsis of Elementary Law and Law of Personal Property,” 1884; “Digest of Iowa Reports,” 1887 and 1898; “Criminal Law,” two volumes, 1897; “Cases on Law of Carriers,” 1893 and 1896; “Cases on Constitutional Law,” in 1900. He has been a contributor to many law journals and an active member of the American Bar Association. In 1894 Chancellor McClain was appointed one of the Commissioners of Iowa to act with Commissioners from other States to recommend uniform laws on negotiable instruments and in conformity with their report acts have been passed by New York, Connecticut, Colorado, Florida and other States which will probably be the basis of future commercial law in the United States. In 1894 Chancellor McClain was selected by the Senate of Iowa as one of the Code Commissioners to formulate a revised code. Their work was the basis of the code adopted by the special session of the Twenty-sixth General Assembly. Chancellor McClain was selected to prepare the annotations of the new code which was published in 1897. At the Republican State Convention in 1900, he received the nomination for Judge of the Supreme Court, and was elected, assuming the duties in January, 1901.

MOSES A. McCOID was born in Logan County, Ohio, on the 5th of November, 1840. He was educated at Fairfield University and Washington College, Pennsylvania. He removed to Rairfield, Iowa, and studied law with James F. Wilson of that place from 1858 to 1861. On the 6th of May he enlisted in Company E, Sixth Regiment of Volunteer Infantry. He took part in the battles of Fort Donelson, Shiloh, Corinth, Bear Creek, Resaca and Ostenaula River. He was first promoted to second lieutenant and later to adjutant of the regiment. Upon his return from the war he engaged in the practice of law at Fairfield and was chosen District Attorney of the Sixth District, serving until 1871 when he was elected to the State Senate where he served six years. He was elected to Congress on the Republican ticket in 1878 and was twice reëlected, serving six years.

GEORGE W. McCRARY was born on the 29th of August, 1835, near Evansville, Indiana. In 1837 the family emigrated to the “Black Hawk Purchase,” locating in Van Buren County where the son grew to manhood on his father's farm. He received a liberal education and when nineteen began to study law with Rankin & Miller. When Miller became Judge of the United States Supreme Court, Mr. McCrary took his place in the law firm. In 1857, at the age of twenty-two, Mr. McCrary was elected a Representative in the House of the Seventh General Assembly, being its