Wynn Underwood

Wynn Thomas Underwood (August 27, 1927–October 20, 2005) was an American attorney, political figure, and judge from Vermont. He twice served as a member of the Vermont House of Representatives, and served as an associate justice of the Vermont Supreme Court from 1980 to 1985. Biography Underwood grew up on a farm in Sudbury, Vermont. He attended the one-room Hill School in Orwell and then Brandon High School and Berkshire School in Sheffield, Massachusetts. Underwood attended Dartmouth College for two years before enlisting in the U.S. Army during World War II; he fought with the 87th Mountain Infantry Regiment ski troops (later merged into the 10th Mountain Division). After returning home, Underwood traveled the Caribbean as a freelance writer until returning home to Vermont. In 1947, at the age of twenty-one, he was elected as a Democrat to the Vermont House of Representatives as the representative of Sudbury. He was one of the youngest members of the Vermont General Assembly. Using the G.I. Bill, Wynn attended Boston University Law School, receiving his J.D. in 1952. Wynn served his legal apprenticeship with Asa Bloomer in Rutland, and then practiced two years with Osmer C. Fitts in Brattleboro before opening his own law office in Middlebury. Wynn was elected state's attorney for Addison County, serving from 1955 to 1957. Wynn then joined the law firm of Conley, Foote & Underwood in Middlebury from 1957 to 1962, and then formed his own law firm, Underwood, Lynch & Ketcham in Middlebury 1962 to 1972. Wynn was chairman of the Middlebury selectboard from 1967 to 1972. Wynn was president of the Vermont Trial Lawyers Association from 1969 to 1970 and was president of the Addison County Bar Association from 1968 to 1970.