CUYAHOGA COUNTY OHIO *************************************************************************** File Contributed for use in the Ohio Biographies Project by Susan Marsh Carr Mobbed@aol.com December 7, 2001 *************************************************************************** AMBLER, William E., Judge from Cleveland Special Limited Edition, The Lewis Publishing Company, Chicago & New York, 1918 v. 1 pg. 67 Judge William E. Ambler. As a lawyer Judge Ambler's work was done chiefly in the State of Michigan, where he was a successful practitioner and where he became prominent in public affairs, serving as state senator and as judge of probate. Since 1891 his home has been in Cleveland, and here he has figured as one of the leading real estate men. Judge Ambler is a man of exceptional attainments and his ability has been tested in the law, business, in public affairs and he has many interesting and useful associations with prominent men and with pleasant avocations. Judge Ambler is now president of the Curtiss-Ambler Realty Company, with offices in The Arcade. He was born in Medina, Ohio, December 18, 1845, as son of Chester C. and Margaret (Eglin) Ambler. His family is of New England origin. His father was born in Vermont, and was for many years engaged in merchandising in Spencer, Medina County, Ohio. In 1859 the family moved to Hillsdale, Michigan, but Chester Ambler and his wife spent their last years in Cleveland, where he died July 5, 1905, at the age of ninety, and his wife in 1906. William E. Ambler was fourteen years old when he moved to Michigan. Besides the public schools he attended Hillsdale College, graduated Bachelor of Science from Albion College in 1865, and pursued his law studies in the Albany Law School at New York, where he was a classmate of the late President William McKinley. He completed the course in 1867 and spent the following year in study of the classics at Adrian College, Michigan, from which he received the degree Bachelor of Arts in the spring of 1868. Judge Ambler did his first practice of the law in Minneapolis, Minnesota, but after a year returned to Michigan and located at Pentwater. That was his home for over twenty years, and throughout that time he was devoting his energies to a rapidly growing law practice and to his duties in public life. His work and attainments gained him a high estimation in the public, recognized by Adrian College, which conferred upon him the degree Master of Arts in 1870, and by Hillsdale College, which game him a similar degree in 1875. Judge Ambler was elected a trustee of Hillsdale College in 1888, and has served continuously in that office to the present time and for the past eleven years has been Chairman of its board of trustees. Educational progress and the humanities have always claimed a large share of Judge Ambler's interests and work. He was elected a member of the State Senate in 1878 and again in 1880. During his first term he was a member of the judiciary committee, and in the second term served as president pro tem of the Senate and chairman of the committee on appropriations and finance. He demonstrated unusual capacity for handling many of the larger questions which were considered by the Michigan Senate during his two terms. His service as Judge of Probate was in Oceana County, Michigan. Since coming to Cleveland in 1891 Judge Ambler has been in the real estate business, and he has few peers. Besides the Curtiss-Ambler Realty Company, of which he is president, he is president of the Ambler Realty Company and vice president of the Cuyahoga Building and Loan Company. He is also president of the Hampton-Ambler Realty company. Judge Ambler is a member of the Cleveland Chamber of Commerce, the Cleveland Athletic Club and the Colonial Club. One of his special interests and pursuits for many years has been the collecting of autographs and autographic letters and manuscript. Those who are in a position to judge say that he has one of the largest collections of the kind in the country, his library being filled with autograph books. Judge Ambler has always been a strong republican in politics. In 1909 he erected a modern residence at 1696 Magnolia Drive, near Wade Park, and there he and his family have since made their home. Judge Ambler married at Lyons, Michigan, December 25, Christmas Day, 1871, Miss Flora E. Lewis, daughter of Charles E. and Ann (Tufts) Lewis. To their marriage were born two sons and two daughters. Jay C., the oldest, is a graduate of Hillsdale College and is now located at Manchester, Tennessee. Angell, the older daughter, was educated in the Woman's College of Western Reserve University, subsequently completed a course in the Teacher' College of New York City, and is now the wife of Dr. S. M. Weaver, a Cleveland dentist. The son, William, graduated from the Case School of Applied Science of Cleveland, also took the literary course in Hillsdale College, and the electrical course in Cornell University, was for two years an instructor in the electrical department of Cornell, two years assistant professor in electricity in the Case School of Applied Science, and then left educational work to enter business for himself as a real estate man. Marguerite Faye is a graduate of Miss Mittelberger's School of Cleveland and the National Park Seminary of Washington, D.C., and is now the wife of H. Horton Hampton, one of the leading real estate men of Cleveland. Submitted by: Susan Marsh Carr (mobbed@aol.com) Names in this selection: AMBLER, Angell AMBLER, Chester C. AMBLER, Jay C. AMBLER, Marguerite Faye AMBLER, William AMBLER, William E., Judge EGLIN, Margaret HAMPTON, H. Horton LEWIS, Charles E. LEWIS, Flora E. TUFTS, Ann WEAVER, S. M., Dr.