Jesse Addison Udall

Legislative Resolution

View Legislative Resolution File for Jesse Addison Udall

Biographical Information

The following is from the Legislative death resolution:

Jesse A. Udall, a former Chief Justice of the Arizona Supreme Court and former member of the Arizona House of Representatives, died in Phoenix on May 11, 1980 at the age of eighty-six.

Jesse Udall was born near Eagar, in Apache County on June 24, 1893.  He was one of seven sons of Arizona pioneer David K. Udall and Ida Hunt Udall, He was the uncle of Representative Morris K. Udall and former Secretary of the Interior, Stewart L Udall.

Mr. Udall served as an Army ambulance driver in France during World War I and was graduated from the University of Arizona Law School in 1924.  He was elected County Attorney of Graham County in 1925 and, having made an excellent record there, he was elected to the House of Representatives in 1930 for the Tenth Legislature.

During the Tenth and Eleventh Legislatures Mr. Udall served with distinction on the Agriculture and Irrigation Committee, the County and County Offices Committee and the House Select Committee on Tax Revision.  As a legislator he directed his efforts toward school financing and county government, He was also interested in legislation relating to building and loan associations.

In 1939 he became a Graham County Superior Court judge.  He resigned from the bench in 1942 to serve in the Judge Advocate Department in the Army in World War II and later served as Chief of the Army Internal Security Division's Review Section in Washington, D. C.  In 1945 he resumed private law practice in Safford.

In 1952 Governor Howard Pyle appointed him to fill a vacancy on the Graham County Superior Court.  He was elected to a full term in 1954 and continued to serve as a judge until 1958.  While preparing to seek reelection he accepted the call of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to serve as President of its California Mission, which at that time included a portion of Southern California and all of Arizona, with headquarters in Los Angeles.

While still actively engaged in church service in 1960, Governor Paul Fannin appointed him to fill a vacancy on the Arizona Supreme Court caused by the death of his brother Levi.  Jesse Udall served capably on the highest state court bench and was selected by his judicial colleagues to serve as Chief Justice of the court in both 1964 and 1969.

Jesse Udall was one of three brothers who became Arizona judges.  Levi had served as Superior Court judge in Apache County before his election to the Supreme Court Don T. was a Superior Court judge in Navajo County for a number of years.  Another brother, John H., served in the legislature and was Mayor of Phoenix.

Jesse Udall resigned from the high court in January 1972 because of the illness of his wife, to whom he wanted to devote his time and energies.  He had married Lela on June 7, 1917 and they were the proud parents of six children, Jessica Udall Smith, Mesa; Addison Richard Udall, Merced, California; Lee Kenyon Udall, Thatcher; Lela Lee Udall Flaherty, Gilbert; Mary Louise Udall Palmer, Indianapolis, Indiana; and David K. Udall, Mesa.

A lifelong member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, he served as bishop of the Thatcher Ward, president for fifteen years of the St. Joseph Stake in Thatcher, and was patriarch of the Tempe Stake at the time of his death.

Mr. Udall was active in many civic affairs.  He helped organize the Three G Council of the Boy Scouts of America and received their esteemed Silver Beaver award.  He served for many years on the Board of Trustees of Gila College, which became Eastern Arizona Junior College.  He was president of the Safford Club and an active member in the American Legion and Rotary International.

He is survived by his second wife Lillian, six children, six stepchildren, his brother Gilbert, sixty-seven grandchildren and fifty-nine great grandchildren.

Jesse A. Udall served a long and dedicated career as a public servant for the people of Arizona.

Military Experience

U.S. Army, World War I veteran:  "served as an Army ambulance driver in France during World War I" (Legislative death resolution); U.S. Army, World War II veteran:   "resigned from the bench in 1942 to serve in the Judge Advocate Department in the Army in World War II  and later served as Chief of the Army Internal Security Division's Review Section in Washington, D. C." (Legislative death resolution); Arizona National Guard

Additional Information

LEGISLATIVE FAMILY:  brother of John Hunt Udall and Don Taylor Udall

2009-2010 Arizona Blue Book ~ Chapter 4, List of Justices Since Statehood:
JESSE A. UDALL replaced LEVI S. UDALL on 6/15/60
Birth year: 1893
Service on the Supreme Court: 6/15/1960 to 1/15/1972
Chief Justice from 1/1964 to 12/1964, 1/1969 to 12/1969
Time on the bench: 11 and a half years

Employment

Arizona Legislative Service

Sources

Birth: WWI draft card: Jesse A. Udall; Death: SSDI, Legislative death resolution, Conquerors of the West, Vol. 4, p. 2613 submitted by Jesse N. Udall:  May 11, 1980, location: University of Arizona biographical sketch; Military Service: Legislative death resolution, University of Arizona biographical sketch; Cemetery:  Find A Grave Memorial 63346059 created by: Frank Elsberry record added: Dec 27, 2010