The Honorable Joseph F. Maier Beyond the Classroom Fund

Born Nov. 6, 1920, in Sheridan, he was the son of Edna (Fauver) and Joseph A. Maier; was raised on a ranch outside of town and educated in Sheridan; and often rode his pony, Peggy, to class. He graduated from Sheridan High School in 1938, attended Compton Junior College in southern California, and then enrolled at the University of Wyoming. His studies were interrupted when he enlisted in the U.S. Army after Pearl Harbor; and he served in the infantry in the Aleutian Islands.
After his honorable discharge, he returned to UW; graduated first in his class from UW College of Law; and was admitted to the bar in July 1947. He then was in private practice in Sheridan and Torrington for 25 years.
Gov. Stan Hathaway appointed him as a judge to the 1st Judicial District in Cheyenne in 1972, where he served until his retirement in 1987. He continued to hear cases as a judge on retirement status. Wyoming Supreme Court Justice E. James Burke later listed Maier as one of three judges who had the most impact on his early career.
An avid tennis player, he had been a tennis coach at Torrington High School. He also enjoyed fishing and playing bridge and cribbage.