Frederick W. Houser

Houser was born to Justus Christian Houser and Martha Rodman in Jones County, Iowa.^[1] He moved to Los Angeles to read law in the offices of Stephen M. White.^[1] Houser continued his studies as one of the founding signatures to the University of Southern California Law School, and graduated in the first class of 1900.^[2][3]

In November 1902, Houser was nominated by the Republican Party and was elected an Assemblyman from the 74th district in the California State Assembly.^[4][5]

In November 1906, Houser ran as a Republican and was elected as a Judge in the Los Angeles County Superior Court.^[6][7][8][9] In 1911, the Los Angeles trial bench included future Supreme Court justices Frank G. Finlayson, Nathaniel P. Conrey, and Curtis D. Wilbur.^[10] In 1912, he was re-elected to a six-year term on the trial bench.^[11][12][13] In 1916, he was presiding judge of the Superior Court.^[14] In 1918, he won another election for a new term on the Superior Court.^[15][16]

In 1923, he became an Associate Justice in the California Court of Appeal, Second District, Division One.^[17] He held his seat until 1935 when he was named the Presiding Justice of that Court.^[18]

In November 1926, he ran unsuccessfully for the California Supreme Court, losing to Jesse W. Curtis Sr. and William Langdon.^[19][20] From 1935, Houser served as a member of the California Judicial Council.

In 1937, Governor Frank Merriman appointed Houser an associate justice of the California Supreme Court. In November 1938, he was retained in the election.^[21][1][22] He remained on the high court until his death on October 12, 1942.^[23] In December 1942, Governor Culbert Olson appointed B. Rey Schauer to the remainder of Houser's term.^[24]

At USC, he met his wife, Sara Isabel Wilde, who was also a founding signature for the school.^[23] They had two children, Frederick F. Houser, who became Lt. Governor of California and a judge, and Rodman Wilde Houser.^[23][25][26]