JUDGE CLEL E. GEORGETTA

(1958-1962)

Clel Evan Georgetta was born in Salt Lake City on April 20, 1901, but grew up on his father's ranch near Cherry Creek, White Pine County, Nevada, returning to work there during summers between college years. At his mother’s wishes, Clel was educated in Salt Lake City. After high school graduation, Clel took over the operation of his father's sheep ranch and worked there for four years until he earned enough money to attend college. He continued to work on the ranch during summers, expanding the operation in ten years from 400 acres to more than 7,000 acres. He sold all the Triune Ranch (except for the top of Mt. Cherry Peak) for $100,000 in 1940 to the U.S. government, who used it to enlarge the Goshute Indian Reservation.

Judge Georgetta attended the University of Nevada, Reno from 1920-1921; the University of Wisconsin from 1921-1922; and the University of Washington, where he graduated with a law degree. He returned to eastern Nevada and ran for the state Assembly in 1930, serving as White Pine County's Assemblyman for two terms. Judge Georgetta began his Ely law practice in 1932 to supplement his ranch income. He moved the law practice to Reno in 1933, where he specialized in mining, land and water rights, range trespass, domestic relations, estates, and commercial contracts. Clel stated that in thirty-four years as an attorney, he lost only eleven cases. On July 25, 1937, Clel married Ruth Bedford of Boston; they had one daughter, Caryl, born November 14, 1939. Clel and Ruth were divorced after five years, and Ruth and Caryl moved to the eastern part of the U.S., where Ruth remarried.

A life-long Republican and member of the Nevada Republican State Central Committee from 1935-1942, he was instrumental in passing the six-week divorce residency requirement. He also authored laws on range and water rights. He entered the U.S. Army in 1942 and was commissioned as a captain. He served as a judge advocate during World War II and was a lieutenant colonel when he left the Army in 1946.

After the War, Clel returned to Reno where he resided on Gordon St. He built a commercial building on the southwest corner of State and Center Streets. His law practice was headquartered there, and he leased other offices for income. He was elected District Court judge for one term, serving from 1959-1963.

He furthered his writing skills with English classes at the University of Nevada in the 1960s and authored many books, short stories, and articles, some of which were published: Golden Fleece in Nevada, Wool, Beef and Gold: Sheep, Cattle and Mining Stories of the West; Japan as Seen by an American; and Kelley of the Triune: Biography of a Sheep Dog. In his later years, Judge Georgetta spent winters at a home in the Palm Springs area of southern California. It was there that he died of cancer on April 20, 1979.