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Charles Duncan Gilfillan
Overview
Charles Duncan Gilfillan (1831–1901) was a Hamilton College alumnus (Class of 1852) who became a justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court. Born in Sherburne, New York, he prepared for college at Hamilton and was enrolled in the early 1850s before going on to a distinguished legal career in the Midwest. He settled in St. Paul, Minnesota, where he rose to prominence on the state’s highest court.
Relevance to Research
Gilfillan appears in the 1849–50 through 1852–53 catalogs as a student at Hamilton, listed with his hometown of Sherburne, New York. The 1903–04 catalog records him among recently deceased alumni, and notably documents that he contributed $2,500 toward Hamilton’s scholarship endowment fund. He is one of a cohort of mid-19th-century Hamiltonians who pursued legal careers in the expanding Midwest.
Notes
- Listed as a student in the Hamilton catalogs for 1849–50, 1850–51, 1851–52, and 1852–53; hometown given as Sherburne, New York
- Graduated in the Class of 1852
- Became a justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court; resided in St. Paul, Minnesota
- The 1903–04 catalog records his death and lists him among the recently deceased
- Donated $2,500 to Hamilton’s scholarship endowment fund, noted in the 1903–04 catalog among recent additions to the scholarship foundation
Related Sources
- yhm-arc-pub-cat-1849-50 — student listing
- yhm-arc-pub-cat-1850-51 — student listing
- yhm-arc-pub-cat-1851-52 — student listing
- yhm-arc-pub-cat-1852-53 — student listing, hometown Sherburne
- yhm-arc-pub-cat-1903-04 — obituary notice and scholarship donation