David Livingstone Ward

David Livingstone Ward

David Livingstone Ward, of Newbern, has given all his best years, his best talents, and his interest to the law, and largely due to this concentration of purpose has gained a success that ranks him among the ablest members of the North Carolina bar.

Mr. Ward was born in Greene County, North Carolina, October 24, 1860, and represents a prominent old family of North Carolina — one that was settled here in colonial days. His grandfather, Josiah Ward, acquired an immense tract of land fronting on the Atlantic Ocean and extensively farmed it and was a man of power and influence in the locality. Mr. Ward is a son of Dr. David George Washington and Adelaide (Moye) Ward. His father was not only a physician with a large practice but owned a plantation, and before the war operated with slave labor.

David L. Ward had a liberal education, despite the fact that his early childhood was spent in the period of devastation during and following the war. He attended Stantonsburg Academy in Wilson County, under Dr. Joseph Foy, and from there entered Wake Forest College, where he was graduated A. B. in 1881. He pursued the study of law with Dick & Dillard, noted lawyers and law teachers at Greensboro, and was licensed to practice in February, 1883, by Justices W. H. Smith, Thomas S. Ashe and Thomas Ruffin, of the Supreme Court.

Mr. Ward began practice at Marshall in Western North Carolina, had his law office at Wilson one year, was associated for a time with Colonel Thomas S. Kenan, and then went west to San Francisco, California, where he was enjoying a large and lucrative law practice for eight years. At the death of his parents he returned to North Carolina, and on March 1, 1894, located at New-bern, where he has practiced steadily for the past twenty-three years. Mr. Ward's ability and talents are especially well displayed in the handling of civil cases, and a practice of great variety and importance in this branch has been given him.

He served six years as county attorney of Craven County, resigning from the office in 1905 to enter the State Senate, to which he was elected in 1904. By appointment he served with the rank of colonel on the personal staff of Governor Glenn and also on the staff of Governor Kitchin. Governor Kitchin appointed him judge of the Superior Court of the third district, and while by nature and experience well fitted for judicial duties he soon resigned his post in order to take up what is to him more congenial work, his private practice.

Mr. Ward is a member and chairman of the executive board of the North Carolina Bar Association, is former chairman of the judiciary committee of the association, and belongs to the American Bar Association. He is affiliated with the Kappa Alpha college fraternity, is a Knight Templar Mason and a member of Sudan Temple of the Mystic Shrine. He also belongs to the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. Mr. Ward was married February 7, 1900, to Miss Carrie Louise Schollenberg, of Philadelphia. Pennsylvania. They have three children: Emily Curran, David Livingstone and Carrie Louise.

Source: History of North Carolina, Vol. VI, The Lewis Publishing Company, Chicago and New York ©1919