Minnesota State Law Library
Minnesota State Law Library
G25 Minnesota Judicial Center
25 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
St. Paul, MN 55155
Phone: 651-297-7651
Hours: 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM, M - F
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Leroy Edison Matson was born on February 11, 1896, in Crookston, Minnesota. He was raised on a farm and enjoyed fishing, hunting, and hiking. Leroy Matson graduated from Bemidji High School in 1916. He served 23 months overseas in World War I with the First Infantry Division and was injured in a gas attack. In 1919, he attended classes at the American Expeditionary Force University in Beaune, France. Returning home, Matson continued at the University of Minnesota, earning his B.A in 1923 and law degree in 1926. He married Elsie Hankey on December 17, 1927.
Leroy Matson entered into a law practice with Arthur T. Nelson in Minneapolis. He continued in private practice until his election to the Minnesota Supreme Court in 1944. Leroy Matson was reelected and continued to serve as Associate Justice until his death on February 28, 1960.
You may read more about the life and work of Justice Matson in the Minnesota Supreme Court Historical Society's book: Testimony: Remembering Minnesota’s Supreme Court Justices, which is the source of this brief biography.