William D. (William Dameron) Guthrie

Born in San Francisco in 1859, William Dameron Guthrie spent part of his childhood in France and England before settling in New York. He studied at Columbia Law School and built a distinguished legal career, becoming especially well known for his work in constitutional law and for arguing important cases before the United States Supreme Court.

Guthrie was also a teacher and public speaker. He served as a professor of law at Columbia in the 1910s and 1920s, and several of his addresses and lectures were published, reflecting his deep interest in constitutional questions and public affairs.

Beyond the courtroom and classroom, he was active in civic life in New York. Late in life he served as the first mayor of Lattingtown, and he died in 1935.