Judge

Lawyer, judge, banker, classics professor, and councilman, Thomas Mellon greatly influenced the fortunes of his hometown, Pittsburgh, throughout the nineteenth century. In the process, he became one of the city's most important business leaders, and he laid the foundation for a family that would contribute considerably to the city's growth and welfare for much of the next hundred years, becoming one of the world's most recognizable names in industry, innovation, and philanthropy. Through his in-depth examination of the extensive Mellon family archives, in "The Judge", James Mellon – a direct descendent of Thomas Mellon – has fashioned a portrait of the elder Mellon that presents the man in full, uncovering areas left out of Mellon's autobiography and including information on the two decades after the memoir's publication. Offering a singular and insightful characterization of the Scotch-Irish value system that governed the patriarch's work and life, James Mellon captures the judge's complexities and contradictions, revealing him as a truly human figure. "The Judge" also provides an interesting study of Pittsburgh's captains of industry during the nineteenth century, showcasing this metropolis in a fascinating new light. Among the recent biographies of Pittsburgh's famous businessmen, "The Judge" stands apart from the pack because of the author's unique perspective and his objective and scholarly approach to his subject.