Lawyer; born in
Castile, N. Y.; educated in the common schools and academy and at the
Albany Law School, afterwards studying under
Ira Harris and
Isaac Edwards; graduated in May, 1869, and admitted to the
New York State bar in October, 1869;
removed to
Chicago, Ill., in 1876; engaged principally in corporation and railroad law. In 1890 removed to
Washington, D. C., and there practised his profession.
Dean Needham has given much time to educational matters, assisting in organizing the present Chicago University, and was a member of its first board of trustees; was a member of the board of trustees of the Columbian University.
In this capacity labored to increase the standard of work in the law school, secured the increase of the course of study to three years, raised the standard of admission and the tests for graduation, and organized the School of Comparative Jurisprudence and Diplomacy, a post-graduate school for higher legal study; was elected dean in June, 1898, and lectured upon the subjects of Common Law, Trusts and Trade Unions, and Transportation and Interstate Commerce Law. He has been a student of the history of private and international law, a member of the American Bar Association, and attended several congresses at
Paris in 1900 as representative of the
United States.
The University of
Rochester, N. Y., at the commencement of June 19, 1901, conferred upon him the honorary degree of
Doctor of Laws
