Joseph Henry Lumpkin

Joseph Henry Lumpkin

Joseph Henry Lumpkin

Chandler McCrary Ray

d. 1867

Joseph Henry Lumpkin Oconee Hill Cemetery lies just beyond perhaps the greatest icon at the historic University of Georgia, Sanford Stadium. While Sanford Stadium has written its place in the history books time and time again, the cemetery is home to the bodies of people who have written the history of this great state for nearly 200 years. One of those people is Joseph Henry Lumpkin, who dedicated his life to serving the state of Georgia in many capacities. Joseph Lumpkin attended the University of Georgia and was admitted to the state bar in 1820. He served a few terms in the Georgia General Assembly for continuing is legal career. Lumpkin worked alongside the current governor to establish the state penal code, which was the first of its kind for Georgia and still stands today. This would be deemed a lasting career in the eyes of most, but the remarkable part is that he did all of this by the age of 30, which was less than half of his life. Lumpkin went on to even greater heights, and he was elected as one of the initial three justices to the Georgia Supreme Court after its creation in 1845. Not only that, Lumpkin served as the courts first-ever presiding chief justice for 22 years until his death in 1867. Joseph Lumpkin currently resides at Oconee Hill Cemetery, but his impact can be seen across campus. Namely, Lumpkin street runs through the center of campus. However, his biggest contributions to the University can be seen on north campus, as Joseph Lumpkin established the University of Georgia school of law during his time in the Supreme Court. Joseph Lumpkin has a lasting impact on not only this community, but also this state. While walking through the cemetery looking for someone to research, I came across Lumpkin and was immediately struck with curiosity. Everyone at UGA knows his name, but few know the impact that he made on this state. On top of this, I was pleased to find out during my research that Lumpkin made his living in the field of law, something that I am so passionate about and would one day like to dedicate my life to. Who knows, I may even end up attending the law school that he created himself.