Today in Wheeling History: August 8--Future U.S. District Judge, Brigadier General, and Wheeling attorney W. Craig Broadwater is born in Elk City, Oklahoma (1950).
Willard Craig Broadwater, born on August 8, 1950, in Elk City, Oklahoma, grew up in Paden City, West Virginia. He excelled academically, graduating magna cum laude from West Virginia University in 1972 before serving as a U.S. Army lieutenant from 1972 to 1982. During his service in Korea, he met his future wife, Chong. Broadwater earned his Juris Doctor from West Virginia University College of Law in 1977, graduating in the top 15 of his class.
Broadwater's legal career began in Wheeling, West Virginia, where he practiced privately from 1977 to 1983. He also served as a hearing examiner for the West Virginia Worker's Compensation Fund (1978-1981) and as a special prosecuting attorney for Ohio County (1982-1983). In 1983, he was appointed and later elected as a circuit court judge for the First Judicial Circuit of West Virginia, a position he held until 1996. President Bill Clinton then nominated him to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia, where he served from July 26, 1996, until his death.
Throughout his legal career, Broadwater continued his military service in the West Virginia Army National Guard, joining in 1976 and rising to the rank of Brigadier General in 2002. He volunteered for duty in Iraq from mid-2005 to early 2006, commanding the Joint Interagency Task Force for High Value Individuals (JIATF-HVI).
Broadwater and Chong had three children: Chandra, Taeja, and Shane. Known for his dedication to public service, sharp intellect, and commitment to both the judiciary and the military, Broadwater passed away on December 18, 2006, at the age of 56, due to complications from cancer. He was buried with full military honors at Oxford Cemetery in West Union, West Virginia, leaving behind a legacy of distinguished service in both legal and military fields spanning over three decades.
To learn more:
(http://alturl.com/g57gn) (http://alturl.com/rk4pe) (http://alturl.com/effi9) (http://alturl.com/b4xkb) (http://alturl.com/q5tz6) (http://alturl.com/sh26x)
Photo credits: Find a Grave, Wikimedia Commons
Willard Craig Broadwater, born on August 8, 1950, in Elk City, Oklahoma, grew up in Paden City, West Virginia. He excelled academically, graduating magna cum laude from West Virginia University in 1972 before serving as a U.S. Army lieutenant from 1972 to 1982. During his service in Korea, he met his future wife, Chong. Broadwater earned his Juris Doctor from West Virginia University College of Law in 1977, graduating in the top 15 of his class.
Broadwater's legal career began in Wheeling, West Virginia, where he practiced privately from 1977 to 1983. He also served as a hearing examiner for the West Virginia Worker's Compensation Fund (1978-1981) and as a special prosecuting attorney for Ohio County (1982-1983). In 1983, he was appointed and later elected as a circuit court judge for the First Judicial Circuit of West Virginia, a position he held until 1996. President Bill Clinton then nominated him to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia, where he served from July 26, 1996, until his death.
Throughout his legal career, Broadwater continued his military service in the West Virginia Army National Guard, joining in 1976 and rising to the rank of Brigadier General in 2002. He volunteered for duty in Iraq from mid-2005 to early 2006, commanding the Joint Interagency Task Force for High Value Individuals (JIATF-HVI).
Broadwater and Chong had three children: Chandra, Taeja, and Shane. Known for his dedication to public service, sharp intellect, and commitment to both the judiciary and the military, Broadwater passed away on December 18, 2006, at the age of 56, due to complications from cancer. He was buried with full military honors at Oxford Cemetery in West Union, West Virginia, leaving behind a legacy of distinguished service in both legal and military fields spanning over three decades.
To learn more:
(http://alturl.com/g57gn) (http://alturl.com/rk4pe) (http://alturl.com/effi9) (http://alturl.com/b4xkb) (http://alturl.com/q5tz6) (http://alturl.com/sh26x)
Photo credits: Find a Grave, Wikimedia Commons
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