George Eddy Downey

Who was George Eddy Downey?

George Eddy Downey was an Indiana attorney, mayor, and judge, and later a judge of the United States Court of Federal Claims.

Downey received a B.A. from Asbury University in 1880, and an M.A. from that institution in 1883.

He practiced law in Rising Sun, Indiana, from 1881 to 1882, then took a position as the editor of the Franklin Democrat newspaper in Brookville, Indiana. After serving as editor from 1882 to 1884, he returned to his practice in Rising Sun, Indiana. He moved to Aurora, Indiana, in 1886 and was elected mayor of the town in 1894. He served several terms as mayor, leaving office in 1902. The following year, he was named a judge on the Seventh Judicial Circuit of Indiana, where he served until 1913. President Woodrow Wilson appointed him Comptroller of the United States Department of the Treasury in 1913. He resigned in 1915.

Downey was nominated to the Court of Federal Claims by President Wilson, was confirmed by the U.S. Senate, and received his commission on August 3, 1915. He died in office on May 24, 1926. He was interred at Abbey Mausoleum in Arlington County, Virginia. His remains were moved to National Memorial Park in Falls Church, Virginia, when the mausoleum closed and was demolished.