Franklin Swift Billings, Jr.
Franklin Swift Billings, Jr., Representative of Woodstock, Republican, was born on June 5, 1922. Occupation: attorney-at-law. He was educated in the public schools in Woodstock; Milton Academy; Harvard College (S.B., 1943) University of Virginia (L.L.B., 1947). He is married to the former Pauline R. Gillingham and they have two sons and one daughter. He is a member of the Grange; Masons; Shrine; American, Vermont, and Windsor County Bar Associations. He has been village trustee, town agent, selectman, planning commission, school director and library trustee. He was Assistant Secretary of the Senate in 1949, 1951, and 1953, executive Clerk, 1955; Secretary of the Senate in 1957 and 1959; Secretary of Civil and Military Affairs, 1959 and 1960; Judge of the Hartford Municipal Court, 1955-1962; clerk of the Woodstock Union High School District, 1958-1962; and a member of the Woodstock Planning commission, 1958-62.
He served with the British 8th Army in the 6th Armored division, 1943 to 1946. In 1966 he was appointed to the Superiour Court and he served until 1975 when he was appointed to the Vermont Supreme Court. He was Chief Justice from 1982-84. In 1984 he was appointed a U.S. District Judge of Vermont, serving as Chief Judge from 1989-97 when he took Senior Status and remains as a Senior District Judge today. Member of the House of 1961, and member and Speaker of the House of 1963 and 1965.