A.J. Sampson, Colorado’s First Attorney General

A.J. Sampson.
A.J. Sampson. / Photo from the History of the City of Denver, Arapahoe County, and Colorado, published in 1880.

When the Centennial State officially received statehood on the second time of asking, Coloradans had to convert their governing mechanisms and elect candidates to statewide offices, including the new office of attorney general. 

The person selected for the role was A.J. Sampson, a lawyer who had moved to the then-territory in 1874, settling in Cañon City. 


Sampson’s road to Colorado was winding. Born in Ohio in 1839, he grew up in the state and graduated from college shortly after the outbreak of the Civil War. After his graduation, he enlisted in the Union Army at the rank of private. 

Sampson ultimately served two stints, fighting in several battles, including the Siege of Petersburg. He rose through the ranks during his service, ultimately achieving the rank of captain. He was honorably discharged after being disabled during a battle at Hatcher’s Run, Virginia. 

He wasted little time beginning his legal career after his military service. Sampson graduated from Cleveland Law School and passed the Ohio bar in 1865. 

Sampson would then relocate to Sedalia, Missouri, where he would marry his wife and set up a legal practice. He spent several years there before relocating to Colorado. Upon his departure, the Pettis County Bar of Missouri published a statement, according to an article from the Rocky Mountain News.  

“We deeply regret the loss of so old a fellow practitioner, with whom we have spent so many years of pleasant professional intercourse, and we hereby tender him our hearty goodwill and most cordial wishes for his future success and happiness; and we also recommend him as an honest, energetic man, and a reliable efficient lawyer,” the bar stated. 

But Sampson almost never made it to Colorado. In 1873, he was nominated and confirmed as U.S. Consul to Palestine. Despite the offer, Sampson declined. 

After a few years practicing law and making connections in his new state of residence, Sampson would receive the Republican nomination to be Colorado’s first attorney general. 

The first election was settled by a margin of less than 1,000 votes, with Sampson elected with 14,145 votes against the 13,182 for his Democratic opponent, G.Q. Richmond. 

Upon taking office, Sampson was beset with the task of figuring out what the attorney general for the state was responsible for, and he spent a significant amount of time advising the Colorado General Assembly on statutes for the new position. 

His time wasn’t just spent advising. He issued 120 written and many more verbal opinions on a wide range of legal issues. His purview was wide as he helped the nascent state deal with novel legal issues, including real estate and title issues pertaining to Colorado’s major universities, financial issues at the state penitentiary and tax issues with various state boards. 

In addition, he would represent the state before the Colorado Supreme Court in 14 different appeals, ranging from murder to cattle theft. 

At the end of his term, Sampson’s time in Colorado also came to a close. He moved to Arizona, then received two international appointments by two presidents. He was appointed U.S. Consul at Paso del Norte by President Benjamin Harrison. Several years later, he was appointed U.S. Ambassador to Ecuador by President William McKinley. 

Sampson’s term as ambassador ended in 1905. He died at the age of 82, in Phoenix, Arizona, after contracting pneumonia. 

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