Marvin B. Rosenberry was born in Medina County, Ohio in 1868, attended public schools in Michigan, and obtained his law degree from the University of Michigan. After teaching a short while, he moved to Wausau, Wisconsin to set up law practice in 1893. There he was also a bank director, and served as President of the Farmer's Cooperative Packing Company. In 1904 he was a member of the Republican state central committee and for some years was known as an influential Stalwart Republican. In 1909 his letters indicate his interest in politics to the extent of his circulating nomination papers for a friend; but on December 17, 1910 he wrote that he had “retired entirely from the political game.” In the next few years Rosenberry's reputation as an attorney grew, and he became well known as a counsel for land companies and for the Wisconsin Electrical Association, better known as the “Water Power Trust.”
In 1916 he was appointed to the Supreme Court bench by Governor Emanuel Philipp. It was thought by some that the appointment was the result of a deal, since his law partner, A. L. Kreutzer, withdrew from the race for U.S. Senator at the same time, and Governor Philipp favored another candidate over Kreutzer. In any case, Rosenberry apparently divorced himself from politics, became an outstanding jurist, and enjoyed a long and distinguished career on the bench.
While on the Supreme Court Rosenberry had to stand for election four times--in 1918, 1919, 1929, and 1939. He was always able to defeat his opponent by wide margins, and in 1929 had no opposition. Rosenberry's last campaign was conducted by a committee of supporters, as he contended that he was too busy to campaign actively. After thirty-four years on the bench, twenty-one of them as Chief Justice, he retired in January, 1950.
Following his retirement from the court at the age of 82, Rosenberry resumed the practice of law and became associated with La Follette, Sinykin, and Doyle in Madison. His retainers came from industries such as the paper companies, the Schlitz Brewing Company, and Allis-Chalmers.
Justice Rosenberry's first wife, Kate Landfair, died shortly after he was first appointed to the Supreme Court. She left him a daughter, Katherine, and a son, Samuel Landfair. Katherine married, and died at the age of 48; Sam became a lawyer in New York.
In 1918 Justice Rosenberry married Mrs. Lois Mathews, dean of women and associate professor of history at the University of Wisconsin. Both Justice and Mrs. Rosenberry were very active in civic affairs. Rosenberry was one of the leaders in the Community Union movement in Madison in the 1920s and 1930s, was president of the Wisconsin Conference of Social Work in 1926, headed the state Bar Association in 1925-1926, was a warden in his church for more than twenty years, and always took an active interest in Boy Scouts and the YMCA. One of his last public services was his activity in connection with the studies on legislative reapportionment in 1951-1952.
Both Justice and Mrs. Rosenberry died in 1958.
