Clarence Carey Caldwell Biography


	This biography appears on pages 93-94 in "History of Dakota 
	Territory" by George W. Kingsbury, Vol. V (1915) and was 
	scanned, OCRed and edited by Maurice Krueger, mkrueger@iw.net.

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				CLARENCE CAREY CALDWELL.  

	Clarence Carey Caldwell, called to the position of attorney 
general of South Dakota in the election of 1914 and ranking with the 
ablest members of the bar, makes his home in Howard. He is a native son 
of the state, his birth having occurred upon a farm in Minnehaha 
county, February 2, 1877. His father, George Caldwell, was a native of 
Posey county, Indiana, and in the year 1875 arrived in Dakota 
territory, settling on a farm near Sioux Falls, where he resided for 
twelve years or until his death, which occurred in 1887. His wife, who 
bore the maiden name of Mary E. Draper, is a native of Cambridge, Henry 
county, Illinois, and since the death of her first husband has become 
the wife of J. R. Wilder of Hartford? South Dakota. The three sons of 
the mother's first marriage are all graduates of the South Dakota State 
University and have become well known in professional circles. Clarence 
C. Caldwell is the eldest, his brother, Charles V., is state's attorney 
of Minnehaha county and resides at Sioux Falls, while the youngest 
brother, H. Lee, is a civil engineer of Jacksonville, Illinois. The 
Caldwell family is of Scotch-Irish ancestry, the family having been 
established in Vermont at an early period in the development of the new 
world. There representatives of the name remained until the 
grandparents of Clarence C. Caldwell became residents of Indiana.  

	After attending the district schools of Minnehaha county, C. C. 
Caldwell continued his education in the high school of Sioux Falls and 
in Sioux Falls College. He then entered the State University, in which 
he completed a classical course by graduation in 1902, at which time 
the Bachelor of Arts degree was conferred upon him. During the 
succeeding three years he served as principal of the high school of 
Vermillion, South Dakota, and also began the study of law. He pursued 
his preparation for the bar for a time in the University of Chicago but 
afterward returned to the University of South Dakota, from which he was 
graduated as a member of the class of 1906, winning the LL. B. degree. 
The same year he removed to Howard and entered upon the practice of his 
profession, continuing his residence there to the present time. No 
dreary novitiate awaited him. Almost immediately his ability won him 
recognition and he has advanced steadily in his profession, the court 
records giving evidence of his power and resourcefulness. He served for 
three terms as state's attorney of Miner county, having been elected in 
1906, in 1910 and again in 1912, remaining in that position until 
elected attorney general of South Dakota. He was secretary of the 
Howard school board for six years but resigned when elected attorney 
general of state. He was also city attorney of Howard and in the 
November election of 1914 he was chosen attorney general of the state 
on the republican ticket. He proved a very satisfactory official as 
state's attorney, displayed much initiative as well as absolute 
fearlessness and he had a high percentage of convictions to his credit. 
He possesses a thorough knowledge of statutory law and of precedent and 
prepares his cases with the utmost care.  

	Mr. Caldwell was united in marriage June 16, 1908, to Miss Marie 
Bryant, a daughter of W. C. and Priscilla (Brown) Bryant, of 
Vermillion, the former a retired merchant. Mr. and Mrs. Caldwell are 
the parents of a daughter, Marion Priscilla, whose birth occurred 
October 28, 1912. Mr. Caldwell is a member of the Baptist church, his 
wife of the Congregational, but there being no Baptist or 
Congregational church in Howard, they are attendants of the Methodist 
church. Fraternally Mr. Caldwell is connected with the Masons and is a 
popular representative of the craft. He obtains literary recreation in 
the study of sociology, political science and governmental affairs and 
has comprehensive knowledge of the significant problems which are 
engaging the attention of thoughtful men of the age. He has taken a 
most prominent part in politics and is known as an eloquent, logical 
and convincing speaker concerning the issues of the day. He finds 
recreation in out-of-door sports, of which he is a devotee. He was 
prominent in athletic circles during his college days and played on the 
University football team. He is advancing steadily in professional 
ranks and is one of the leaders of the state's younger generation of 
lawyers.