Our eighteenth Lucas County Prosecutor was elected in 1884 and served until 1890. Of all of the previous Prosecutors, he appears to be the first who was actually born in Lucas County. Highly educated, he was a graduate of Cornell University. He studied law in Toledo under the tutelage of Judge George Haynes, who, himself was our twelfth Lucas County Prosecutor. Southard was admitted to the Ohio Bar in 1872. He was appointed an Assistant Prosecutor in 1882 and was elected Chief Prosecutor in 1884. He served a total of 6 years, being re-elected in 1887.

It has been said of him:

"As a lawyer, he is astute, careful and methodical; he has the respect of every member of the fraternity [ of lawyers] and of judges and jurors alike." (Businessmen of Toledo and Northwestern Ohio, pp. 58-59.