CUSHING, WILLIAM ERASTUS (23 Sept. 1853—19 Dec. 1917), a lawyer, served on the Ohio State Board of Commissioners on Uniform Laws (1902-05) and on the American Bar Association committee on uniform state laws. He was related to at least 6 Cleveland physicians. Cushing was born in Cleveland, one of 9 children (and the oldest son) of Betsey M. Williams and HENRY KIRKE CUSHING, and the grandson of ERASTUS CUSHING. (Other physicians in the family included Edward F., E. H., Kirke and HARVEY W. CUSHING.) He graduated from Western Reserve College in Hudson, Ohio in 1875 with a B.A. and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. In 1878 he received an L.L.B. from Harvard Law School and was admitted to the bar. Cushing first practiced with the firm of Terrell, Beach & Cushing and later formed a law partnership with Judge Samuel E. Williamson, Williamson, Cushing & Clarke. By 1910, he was a senior partner with Cushing, Siddall & Palmer and later, in 1913, with Cushing, Hopkins & Lamb. Cushing preferred the study of law, especially corporate law, to litigation.
A Republican, Cushing supported President Rutherford B. Hayes and George William Curtis in their struggle to reform the Civil Service. He belonged to the WESTERN RESERVE HISTORICAL SOCIETY and the Cleveland Chamber of Commerce, among other organizations, served as secretary of the board of UNIVERSITY SCHOOL since its founding, and was trustee of the Society for Savings and Adelbert College of Western Reserve University (see CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY). Cushing was also a member and trustee of FIRST PRESBYTERIAN (OLD STONE) CHURCH. On 4 June 1884 in Pittsfield, Mass., Cushing married Carolyn Kellogg; she later served on the founding board of the FORTNIGHTLY MUSICAL CLUB.