author
Curtis Dwight Wilbur
1867–1954
A lawyer, judge, and public official who moved from the California courts to the national stage, he served as Secretary of the Navy during a period of modernization and later joined the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. His career connected law, politics, and naval policy at a pivotal moment in early 20th-century America.
1 Audiobook
The Bear Family at Home, and How the Circus Came to Visit Them
by Curtis Dwight Wilbur
About the author
Born in Iowa in 1867, Curtis Dwight Wilbur attended the U.S. Naval Academy and then left active naval service to build a legal career in California. He was admitted to the bar in 1890 and rose through public service as a prosecutor and judge, eventually becoming Chief Justice of the California Supreme Court.
In 1924, President Calvin Coolidge appointed him Secretary of the Navy. During his years in that office, he was associated with efforts to strengthen and modernize the Navy, including support for naval aviation and fleet development during the interwar period.
In 1929, Wilbur was appointed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, where he served for many years after leaving the Cabinet. He died in 1954, remembered for a career that spanned state law, federal judging, and national service.