Cameron McVicar Batjer

The Honorable Cameron McVicar Batjer, former Chief Justice of the Nevada Supreme Court, was born on the McVicar cattle ranch in Smith Valley, Nevada, on August 24, 1919. He graduated from the University of Nevada in 1941, where he majored in economics and history, and following the attack on Pearl Harbor he enlisted in the U.S. Navy, serving with the Construction Battalion (Sea Bees) in the Third Marine Division in the Pacific Theater. He received a commission while serving on Guadalcanal and, upon completing Japanese language school, was assigned to General Douglas MacArthur's staff in Brisbane, Australia, before being separated from the Navy in December 1945.

After the war, Justice Batjer returned to teaching and coaching in Nevada before attending law school at the University of Utah, from which he graduated in 1950. He was named chief counsel of the Utah State Senate, and in 1951 joined the Washington, D.C., staff of Nevada Senator George "Molly" Malone as chief counsel. Returning to Carson City, he established a private law practice in 1954 and was subsequently named Ormsby County District Attorney, succeeding Paul Laxalt. In 1967, when the Nevada Supreme Court was expanded to five members, Governor Paul Laxalt appointed him to the court, where he served, including a term as Chief Justice, until his retirement in 1981.

Upon leaving the court, Justice Batjer was appointed by President Ronald Reagan as chairman of the United States Parole Commission. Over his lifetime he received numerous honors for outstanding service and achievement, including the University of Nevada Alumni Association Alumnus of the Year Award, the United States Parole Commission Ben Baer Award for Outstanding Leadership, the University of Utah Law School Order of the Coif, the Phil Harris Award for Outstanding Service from Rotary International, and the Washoe County Bar Association Lifetime Achievement Award. He passed away on June 1, 2011, at the age of 91.