[1] Born in Skowhegan, Maine,[2][3] Merrill was educated at the local schools.
[3] On February 1, 1945, Governor Horace Hildreth appointed Merrill was to a seat on the Maine Superior Court.
On June 2, 1948, Governor Hildreth appointed Merrill to a seat on the Maine Supreme Judicial Court vacated by Edward P. Murray.
On March 18, 1953, Governor Burton M. Cross elevated Merrill to chief justice.
[3] Merrill retired from the Court on April 7, 1954, and thereafter "served as a legislative consultant for many years for Central Maine Power Company".