lawyer, judge, b. near New Castle. He grew up in Pierce County, attended River Falls Normal School, taught school for a few years, and graduated from the Univ. of Wisconsin (LL.B., 1889). He began his law practice in Ellsworth, moved to Superior in 1891, where he became a member of the law firm of Crownhart, Owen & Foley, and served for several years as district attorney of Douglas County. He was a regent of the state normal schools (1905-1912) and, as president of the regents, helped institute a program of dormitory construction. In 1911 he moved to Madison to accept the appointment as chairman of the newly created Industrial Commission. In this position he did pioneer work in the field of industrial law. Leaving this post in 1915, he engaged in private practice in Madison. He served as state reviser of the statutes (1920-1922), and in 1922 was appointed by Governor J. J. Blaine (q.v.) to fill an unexpired term as justice of the state supreme court. He was elected to the office in 1923 and served until his death. As a jurist, he was noted for his liberal tendencies, upholding the inherent power of the legislature and strictly limiting the executive and judiciary to constitutionally granted powers. A Progressive Republican, he was a close friend of Robert M. La Follette, Sr. (q.v.), and served as his senatorial campaign manager in 1910 and 1916. M. M. Quaife, Wis. (4 vols., Chicago, 1924); Superior Evening Telegram, May 3, 1930; Wis. Reports, 204 (1932), pp. liv-lxv; Who's Who in Amer., 16 (1928); Wis. Blue Book (1927).

The Wisconsin Historical Society has manuscripts related to this topic. See the catalog description of the Charles H. Crownhart Family Papers for details.

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[Source: Blue book]