Gearhart, Bertrand W.

Bertrand W. Gearhart, born in Fresno on May 31, 1890, pursued his education in his native city before attending the University of Southern California Law School. He achieved admission to the state bar in July 1913, a full year prior to his graduation with an LL.B. degree in June 1914. Upon completing his legal education, he practiced with the firm Short and Sutherland before securing an appointment as a deputy district attorney for Fresno County.

His legal career was temporarily paused when he volunteered for service in the First World War, earning a lieutenant’s commission at the Presidio in San Francisco. He served honorably for eighteen months, which included commanding the Six Hundred Ninth Aero Squadron during six months of active duty in France. Following his discharge in March 1919, Gearhart returned to his civic duties in Fresno, where he remains active in various fraternal organizations and dedicated to local progress.