Former Supreme Court Chief Cameron Batjer dies

Cameron Batjer, former Chief Justice of the Nevada Supreme Court, died June 1.

He was 93.

Batjer was born in 1919 on the McVicar cattle ranch in Smith Valley and grew up in rural western Nevada, graduating high school in 1937.

He received a degree from the University of Nevada in economics and history.

Batjer served in the U.S. Navy during World War II and, after completing Japanese language school, was assigned to Gen. Douglas McArthur's staff.

After the war, he graduated from the University of Utah law school in 1950 and returned to Carson City to teach school until he established residency and was able to practice law.

He was named Ormsby County (Carson City) district attorney in the 1960s and was appointed to the Nevada Supreme Court after that panel was expanded from three to five members in 1967.

Batjer retired form the court in 1991 to accept the appointment by President Ronald Reagan as Chairman of the U.S. Parole Commission.

He is survived by three daughters, Lura Batjer Caldwell, Christina Batjer and Marybel Batjer.

The family has asked that, in lieu of flowers, people donate to the Justice Cameron M. Batjer Scholarship Fund at the University of Nevada Judicial College in Reno.