Past Ohio Attorneys General 1892 – 1911

During his term as attorney general, John K. Richards devoted much of his time to interpreting and expounding on Ohio's Taxation Laws. As a result of his efforts, privileges and franchises became subject to taxation. In 1897, he was appointed solicitor general of the United States by President McKinley and was in charge of a very large number of important cases. These included several cases involving the Sherman Anti-trust Law and a case that helped to define the powers of the president and congress.

Frank Monnett earned acclaim while practicing private law. He participated in a large number of personal injury cases involving railroad workers. As attorney general, he was hailed as an enthusiastic worker who loved his profession. He also served as city solicitor of Crawford, where he earned the respect of local railway companies and manufacturers.

John M. Sheets began his career in public service as a judge of the Common Pleas Court for Fulton, Henry, and Putnam Counties. When he took office, the court was very overcrowded, but Sheets soon developed a suitable business practice and entirely cleared the docket. At the Republican State Convention in 1899, he was unanimously nominated as the candidate for attorney general and was elected by a large majority. He was re-elected in 1901.

As Attorney General of Ohio, Wade Ellis worked to better enforce the anti-trust laws and brought cases against many companies, including, Standard Oil. His enforcement of tax laws resulted in the collection of many delinquent claims and raised enough money to pay the expenses for the attorney general's office and the secretary of state's office. Ellis was active at Republican State Conventions and, in 1907, was appointed Chairman of the Tax Commission by the governor.

Ulysses Denman earned his fame as a lawyer in the courts of Lucas County and during his service in the Ohio Legislature. He was chairman of the Ohio House of Representatives Committee on Fees and Salaries and a member of the Judiciary and Municipal Affairs Committees. Denman worked to pass a general code for municipalities, and with the help of Wade Ellis and Governor Nash, the code was formed. He was nominated for the position of attorney general during the Republican State Convention of 1908.