Cameron McVicar Batjer (August 24, 1919 – June 1, 2011) was an American lawyer and Justice on the Supreme Court of Nevada from 1967 to 1981.[1][2]
Early life and education
Batjer was born on his maternal grandparents' ranch in Smith Valley, Nevada to Robert Wilhelm Batjer and Mary Belle McVicar. His father, a native of Oldenburg, Germany, was a cattle rancher and teamster, and his mother was a schoolteacher. He attended Fernley School and graduated from the University of Nevada in 1941, majoring in economics and history and was a member of Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity. He taught school in Dayton where he met and married fellow teacher Lura Gamble, a native of Hazen.[1][2]
When the Supreme Court of Nevada was expanded from three to five members in 1967, GovernorPaul Laxalt appointed Batjer to fill one of the two new seats and was subsequently elected three times in statewide elections. He resigned from the court in 1981 to accept an appointment as chairman of the United States Parole Commission from President Ronald Reagan, a position he would serve in until his retirement in 1990.[1][2] During his life, he received numerous awards including the University of Nevada Alumni Association Alumnus of the Year Award, United States Parole Commission Ben Baer Award for Outstanding Leadership, University of Utah Law School Order of the Coif, Phil Harris Award for Outstanding Service, Rotary International, and Washoe County Bar Association Lifetime Achievement Award. He died on June 1, 2011, in Carson City.[3]