Ulysses S. Webb

Who was Ulysses S. Webb?

Ulysses Sigel Webb was an American lawyer and politician affiliated with the Republican Party. He served as the 19th Attorney General of California for the lengthy span of 37 years.

Webb's parents were Cyrus Webb, a Civil War captain, and Eliza Cather Webb. He was born in West Virginia and educated in Kansas, and later moved to Quincy, California. There, he gained admittance to the State Bar of California and was elected Plumas County District Attorney, in which position he served for 12 years.

He was appointed Attorney General of California by Governor Henry Gage in 1902, and elected to a full term later that year. Webb served as attorney general for 37 years, from 1902 to 1939, and is one of the longest-serving statewide officials in American history. He began a lengthy series of lawsuits to prove the state held title, in trust for the people of California, to tide and submerged lands, for public access and use for navigation, shipping and commerce. His administration served to clarify new legislation involving elections, motor vehicles, and criminal trial procedures..