W. May Walker Papers

Biographical Note:
The Honorable W. May Walker was born in Crawfordville, Wakulla County, Florida on May 2, 1905, the son of Nat R. Walker and Alice (Tully) Walker both of Crawfordville. After attending public schools in Leon County he received his Bachelor of Laws degree from Cumberland University, Lebanon, Tennessee in 1927. That same year, after passing the Florida Bar exam, he began the practice of Law in Tallahassee.

Judge Walker then served as County Judge of Leon County from 1932 to 1940 when he took over the Circuit Court Judgeship after the death of J. B. Johnson. He served on the bench of the 2nd Judicial Circuit until the time of his death, September 16, 1974.

He married Pansy Crosby daughter of Joseph and Nora Horton Crosby in 1937 and they have two sons W. May Walker, Jr. and Joseph Stanley Walker. During his lengthy career judge Walker has presided over many important and sensational cases and was one of the most hard-working and distinguished jurists of the State.

Scope and Content:
The papers of Judge W. May Walker cover all aspects of his legal career including correspondence, committee papers, legislative papers, rulings and opinions, as well as papers concerning particular cases. Also included among his papers are some papers of his father, Nat R. Walker, who was one of the most colorful and significant characters in the history of Florida. A brief biography of Nat Walker is filed with his papers. Judge Walker served on the bench of the 2nd Judicial Circuit and the great majority of the papers in the collection cover this time period from the 1940s until the time of his death, September 16, 1974.

Finding Aid

©1998 Florida State University. All rights reserved. Created by Aimee Reist and John Nemmers. Send comments to FSU Libraries Special Collections