William Riley Skeen, member of the Ogden bar, was born at Plain City, Utah, August 4, 1881. His father, Lyman Skeen, is a native of Pennsylvania and belongs to one of the old families of that state from Scotch descent that was founded in America by Joseph Skeen, who came to the new world while the country was still numbered among the colonial possessions of Great Britain. The first representative of the name in America settled in Pennsylvania, where the family has since been represented. Lyman Skeen is now a resident of Plain City, Utah, where he follows farming and stock raising. He took up abode there at an early day in the development of that section and has since been connected with its progress and improvement. In politics he is a republican and for eight years he filled the office of county commissioner. He has been very active in political and civic matters, standing at all times for progress and improvement in relation to the public welfare. He married Electa Dixon, a native of Weber County, Utah and a daughter of Henry [ed note: Electa’s father was William Wilkinson Dixon and William Riley was named for him] and Sabra (Lake) Dixon who were pioneer settlers of Weber County. Mrs. Skeen has now departed this life. By her marriage she became the mother of six sons and four daughters of whom five sons and three daughters are yet living.
William Riley Skeen was the seventh in the family and was educated in the public schools of Plain City and in the Utah Agricultural College, in he Normal School and State University. He was graduated from the last named with the Bachelor of Arts degree in 1907. He thus secured broad literacy learning to serve as the foundation upon which to build the superstructure of his professional knowledge. Having decided upon the practice of law as a life work, he went east and entered the University of Chicago, in which he pursued his law course and won the J.D. degree upon graduation. In the meantime he devoted his attention for several years to the profession of teaching, which he undertook in 1903 and followed through 1906 as principal of the schools of Layton. Since June, 1909, his attention and energies have been devoted to his law practice, which has constantly increased in volume and importance and he now has a distinctively representative clientage that connects him with notable litigation heard at the bar of his district. While his devotion to his clients’ interests is proverbial, he never forgets that he owes a still higher allegiance to the majesty of the law. He belongs to the Weber County Bar Association, to the Utah Bar Association and to the American Bar Association.
On the 21st of December, 1905, Mr. Skeen was married in Salt Lake to Miss Jean Ellison, a native of Layton, Utah and a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. E.P. Ellison, who were pioneer people of Layton. Mr. and Mrs. Skeen have four children: Ruth, Paul, Merrill and Kathryn, the eldest born in Layton and the next three in Ogden.
Politically Mr. Skeen is a republican and strongly endorses the principles of his party. He belongs the the Weber Club and his attractive social qualities have made for personal popularity in his constantly growing circle of friends.