Jesse Addison Udall

Who was Jesse Addison Udall?

Jesse Addison Udall was a member of the Udall political family who served as chief justice of the Arizona Supreme Court.

Udall was born and raised in Arizona, he was the son of David King Udall and Ida Frances Udall and was named after Jesse Nathaniel Smith and Addison Pratt, his great-grandfather. He was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He served in the Arizona National Guard and was a veteran of both World War I and World War II and graduated from the University of Arizona Law School in 1924.

From 1931-38, he was a member of the Arizona House of Representatives. He later served as a judge of the Arizona Superior Court from Graham County. From 1960-72 he served as a Justice of the Arizona Supreme Court, succeeding his brother Levi Stewart Udall in that position. In 1964 and 1969, he was Chief Justice. He died in Phoenix in 1980.