JUDGE WILLIAM McKNIGHT

(1939-1952)

William McKnight was born on the McKnight family ranch near Hamilton, White Pine County, Nevada, on February 9th, 1894. As a youth, he worked as a rancher, stage driver, and copper miner in Ruth, Nevada. He attended the Agriculture College in Logan, Utah, graduating at the age of 21. He became Deputy Recorder of White Pine County under Denver Dickerson, and when Dickerson was elected lieutenant governor in 1906, McKnight became Recorder.

During his six years in that office, he became interested in law, which he studied, and in 1912 was admitted to the Nevada Bar. He practiced law in Ely for two years. In 1914, he was chosen to be Secretary of the state Democratic Central Committee. From 1916 to 1919, he served as Assistant Attorney General of Nevada. In 1919, he went to Tonopah and opened a law office there, and in 1921 moved his office to Reno. He was again elected Secretary of the Democratic Central Committee in 1922 and re-elected to that post in 1932. In 1938, he was elected Judge of the Second Judicial District Court . He retired in 1952. He was a member of the Nevada, California, and National Bar Associations.

He was married to Grace Agnes Shiells of Ogden, Utah. The couple had one son, Daniel, who was killed in an accident in 1930, and an adopted son, Donald Franklin. Judge McKnight died in Reno, on October 26, 1957.