Ernest H. Van Fossan

Ernest H. Van Fossan (1888 – May 27, 1970) was a judge of the United States Tax Court from 1926 to 1961.

Early life and education
Born in Lisbon, Ohio, Van Fossan received an A.B. from Oberlin College in 1909, followed by an A.M. and an LL.B. from Columbia University in 1913.

Career
Van Fossan was admitted to the Ohio bar in 1913 and practiced law in Lisbon until 1917. During World War I, he served in the military as a captain from May 1917 to January 1920. He was promoted to major in the Judge Advocate General's Reserve and performed duties in the Office of the Secretary of War and the Inspector General's Department. In 1919, he participated in an inspection and survey of the Panama Canal Zone Government and became a member of the War Department Claims Board and Chief Counsel and resident member of the War Credits Board.

After his military service, Van Fossan practiced law in Washington, D.C., from 1924 to 1926. He also worked as Assistant Counsel and Director of Claims at the U.S. Shipping Board between 1921 and 1924. On June 8, 1926, he was appointed to the U.S. Board of Tax Appeals, now known as the Tax Court. He was reappointed in 1932 and 1944, officially retiring in 1955. However, he was recalled to perform additional judicial duties the following day and continued to serve.

In 1926, he married Frances Hawthorne Brady, who died September 2, 1958.