1930–31 Volume 55 No 1–5 - Phi Delta Theta Scroll Archive

THE SCROLLPHI DELTA THETA December, 1930of law with his father in Westfield.With his classmate and roommate atWilliams and Harvard, Lewis C.Parker, he also opened a branch officeof the firm in Springfield. Mr. Parkershortly thereafter went into bankingand Brother Ely continued the twooffices, adding to the partnership a fewyears later his younger brother, alsoa Williams Phi. He developed an earlyreputation as a trial lawyer, handlinga great many cases for the Springfieldand Berkshire Street Railroads.His growing reputation brought himimportant business connections and in1915 Governor David I. Walsh appointedhim District Attorney of theWestern District, consisting of Hampdenand Hampshire Counties. By thistime he was admittedly one of the leadingmembers of the bar in the westernpart of the state. In 1916 BrotherEly ran for District Attorney and, inthis strongly Republican district, waseasily elected, the only Democrat tocarry his section of the state. He filledthe office in a most creditable mannertrying a large number of cases, includingseven where the charge was firstdegree murder.As a lawyer Brother Ely has a statewidestanding. Three years ago hewas called to Boston to try cases forthe world-known firm of Ropes, Gray,Boyden and Perkins, although not himselfa member of the firm. He is aswell known in Boston as in Westfieldor Springfield.Joe Ely always has taken an activepart in the affairs of his city and town.Hardly a civic committee has beennamed in twenty years of which hewas not a part. For instance, he hasrecently been exceedingly active in thebuilding of a new Westfield HighSchool. Once before he was a candidatein the primaries for gubernatorialhonors but was unsuccessful. Thisyear he was not alone in the primaries;but he came through with flying colors.His election was not wholly unexpectedas general opinion seemed favorable tohim. Those who have known himfrom college days and who have seenhis activities since that period have thegreatest confidence in his integrity andhis ability to give to the state newlevels of statesmanship in the executiveoffice.On May 1, 1906, Brother Ely marriedMiss Harriet Z. Dyson, a Westfieldgirl and a graduate of Mt.Holyoke. There is one child, Richard,who, as has been stated above, was aPhi at Williams in the class of 1930.He is now attending Harvard LawSchool in anticipation of adding anotherEly to the firm of Ely and Ely.182 1