Nathaniel Foote Papers

Nathaniel Foote was born November 15, 1849 in Morrisville, Madison County. He attended the Cazenovia Seminary before taking his B.A. at Hamilton College in 1870. He passed the bar in Binghamton on December 8, 1870, and practiced law in Morrisville with his father from 1871 to 1873. He married Charlotte Campbell, daughter of Rochester lawyer James C. Campbell, in 1872. The ceremony occurred in Rochester's St. Paul's Episcopal Church, where his uncle, the Rev. Israel Foote, was rector. (The Foote family had a prominent history in both law and religion going back many generations to colonial New England.)

The couple moved to Rochester in 1873, and Nathaniel soon formed the firm of Stull, Foote & Taylor. In 1894, he formed a new partnership, Foote & Havens, with James S. Havens. The firm became Foote, Perkins & Havens after James Breck Perkins joined in 1901.

In 1905, Foote left the firm when Governor Dix appointed him to the state Supreme Court, a position to which he was then elected in the next general election. In 1912, Governor Dix elevated Foote to the Fourth Appellate Division court, which his obituary points out as a unique honor in that Dix was a Democrat and Foote a Republican. Foote held the office until forced to retire at the constitutionally mandated age of 70. He was then appointed the official referee, a position he held until he was 90.

Foote was a member of numerous professional and social organizations. He served as the first president of the Rochester Bar Association (1892-1894), along with membership in the Judicature Society, American Bar Association, and New York Bar Association. Foote was also a member of the Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity and, from 1895 onward, the Genesee Valley Club. He received an A.M. and LL.D. from Hamilton College in 1907, along with LL. D. from Hobart College and the University of Rochester. Finally, he served on the Vestry of St. Paul's Episcopal Church for over 50 years, receiving a gold cross for his efforts, along with being senior warden for many years.

At his death on January 26, 1944, Foote was survived by his wife, two daughters (Francis Foote Perrin and Louise Foote Jessup), along with eight grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.