Draft:Harold A. Ritz

Harold A. Ritz (1873 – April 10, 1948) was a justice of the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia from January 1, 1917 until his retirement on November 30, 1922.

Early life
Ritz was the son of James M. Ritz (1846-1925) and his wife Catherine McCarthy Ritz (1850-1909). He was born on July 25, 1873 in Wheeling, West Virginia. Ritz was educated in public schools and graduated from Marshall College in Huntington, West Virginia. He was admitted to the bar in 1894. Two of his brothers, James M. Ritz Jr. (1871-1950) and Russell S. Ritz (1886-1933) were also lawyers.

Career
In 1906 Ritz was appointed to a seat on the West Virginia Eighth Judicial Circuit to fill out an unexpired term. From 1909 to 1913 he was the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of West Virginia. In 1916 he was elected to the Supreme Court of Appeals, serving from January 1, 1917 until he resigned effective November 30, 1922. Ritz was a Republican. Following his service on the court he was the general counsel to the United Fuel Gas Company for eighteen years.

Personal life
Ritz first married Harriett Eleanor Wilson (1872-1911) in 1893 and then Helen J. Jackson on April 30, 1913. He had no children.

Ritz died in Charleston, West Virginia, on April 10, 1948, at the age of 74.