List of federal judges appointed by William Howard Taft

President William Howard Taft.
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Following is a list of all Article III United States federal judges appointed by President William Howard Taft during his presidency.[1] In total Taft appointed 57 Article III federal judges, among them were: six justices to the Supreme Court of the United States, including the appointment of a sitting associate justice as chief justice, 13 judges to the United States Courts of Appeals, and 38 judges to the United States district courts. Taft also appointed judges to various specialty courts, including 5 appointees to the Article III United States Commerce Court, 6 appointees to the Article I United States Court of Customs Appeals and 1 appointee to the Article I tribunal Board of General Appraisers (later the United States Customs Court). The Commerce Court was abolished in 1913; Taft was thus the only president to appoint judges to that body.

From the establishment of the United States courts of appeals on June 16, 1891, until the abolition of the United States circuit courts on December 31, 1911, all United States Circuit Judges where jointly appointed to both the United States court of appeal and the United States circuit court for their respective circuit. Starting January 1, 1912, United States Circuit Judges served only on the United States court of appeal for their respective circuit.

United States Supreme Court justices

# Justice Seat State Former justice Nomination
date 		Confirmation
date 		Began
active service 		Ended
active service 		Ended
retired service
1 Horace Harmon Lurton 3 Tennessee Rufus W. Peckham December 13, 1909 December 20, 1909 December 20, 1909 July 12, 1914 –
2 Charles Evans Hughes 6 New York David Josiah Brewer April 25, 1910 May 2, 1910 May 2, 1910 June 10, 1916 –
3 Edward Douglass White Chief Louisiana Melville Fuller December 12, 1910 December 12, 1910 December 12, 1910 May 19, 1921 –
4 Willis Van Devanter 1 Wyoming Edward Douglass White December 12, 1910 December 15, 1910 December 16, 1910 June 2, 1937 February 8, 1941
5 Joseph Rucker Lamar 4 Georgia William Henry Moody December 12, 1910 December 15, 1910 December 17, 1910 January 2, 1916 –
6 Mahlon Pitney 8 New Jersey John Marshall Harlan February 19, 1912 March 13, 1912 March 13, 1912 December 31, 1922 –

Courts of appeals and circuit courts

The United States circuit courts were abolished on January 1, 1912, the final day of service being December 31, 1911. Judges Frederic Dodge and John Bayard McPherson did not have any United States circuit court service, having taken office subsequent to abolition of the circuit courts.

# Judge Circuit Nomination
date 		Confirmation
date 		Began active
service 		Ended active
service 		Ended senior
status
1 John Wesley Warrington Sixth March 16, 1909 March 16, 1909 March 16, 1909 October 6, 1919 May 26, 1921
2 William M. Lanning Third May 6, 1909 May 18, 1909 May 18, 1909 February 16, 1912 –
3 Loyal Edwin Knappen Sixth January 17, 1910 January 31, 1910 January 31, 1910 April 15, 1924 May 14, 1930
4 Martin Augustine Knapp Second / Fourth December 12, 1910 December 20, 1910 December 20, 1910 February 10, 1923[2] –
5 Robert W. Archbald Third December 12, 1910 January 31, 1911 January 31, 1911 January 13, 1913[3] –
6 John Emmett Carland Eighth December 12, 1910 January 31, 1911 January 31, 1911 November 11, 1922 –
7 Julian Mack Seventh / Sixth / Second December 12, 1910 January 31, 1911 January 31, 1911 September 6, 1940[4] September 5, 1943
8 Walter I. Smith Eighth January 17, 1911 January 31, 1911 January 31, 1911 January 27, 1922 –
9 William Henry Hunt Ninth December 12, 1910 January 31, 1911 February 8, 1911 January 31, 1928 November 30, 1928
10 Arthur Carter Denison Sixth February 25, 1911 March 2, 1911 March 2, 1911 December 31, 1931 –
11 William Schofield First May 25, 1911 June 6, 1911 June 6, 1911 June 10, 1912 –
12 John Bayard McPherson Third March 16, 1912 April 3, 1912 April 3, 1912 January 20, 1919 –
13 Frederic Dodge First July 10, 1912 July 23, 1912 July 23, 1912 June 30, 1918 –

District courts

# Judge Court
[Note 1] 		Nomination
date 		Confirmation
date 		Began active
service 		Ended active
service 		Ended senior
status
1 Oscar Richard Hundley N.D. Ala. – – March 6, 1909[5] May 25, 1909 –
2 Milton D. Purdy D. Minn. December 8, 1908[Rn 1] – March 6, 1909[6] May 1, 1909 –
3 Charles Prentiss Orr W.D. Pa. March 25, 1909 April 8, 1909 April 8, 1909 May 16, 1922 –
4 Learned Hand S.D.N.Y. April 1, 1909 April 26, 1909 April 26, 1909 December 29, 1924 Elevated
5 Robert S. Bean D. Ore. April 15, 1909 April 28, 1909 April 28, 1909 January 7, 1931 –
6 George Donworth W.D. Wash. May 8, 1909 May 18, 1909 May 18, 1909 March 20, 1912 –
7 William Irwin Grubb N.D. Ala. May 8, 1909 May 18, 1909 May 18, 1909 October 27, 1935 –
8 John Rellstab D.N.J. May 6, 1909 May 18, 1909 May 18, 1909 October 10, 1928 September 22, 1930
9 Charles Andrew Willard D. Minn. May 8, 1909 May 18, 1909 May 18, 1909 March 13, 1914 –
10 Henry G. Connor E.D.N.C. May 10, 1909 May 25, 1909 May 25, 1909 November 23, 1924 –
11 George Albert Carpenter N.D. Ill. December 13, 1909 January 11, 1910 January 11, 1910 June 30, 1933 –
12 Arthur Carter Denison W.D. Mich. January 17, 1910 January 31, 1910 January 31, 1910 October 3, 1911 Elevated
13 Howard Clark Hollister S.D. Ohio February 24, 1910 March 7, 1910 March 7, 1910 September 24, 1919 –
14 John Carter Rose D. Md. March 25, 1910 April 4, 1910 April 4, 1910 December 26, 1922 Elevated
15 Carl L. Rasch D. Mont. April 26, 1910 May 2, 1910 May 2, 1910 October 15, 1911 –
16 Gordon J. Russell E.D. Tex. May 27, 1910 June 6, 1910 June 6, 1910 September 14, 1919 –
17 Arba Seymour Van Valkenburgh W.D. Mo. June 14, 1910 June 21, 1910 June 21, 1910 March 18, 1925 Elevated
18 John Milton Killits N.D. Ohio June 21, 1910 June 24, 1910 June 24, 1910 October 6, 1928 September 13, 1938
19 Van Vechten Veeder E.D.N.Y. January 13, 1911 January 26, 1911 January 26, 1911 December 31, 1917 –
20 Frank H. Rudkin E.D. Wash. January 17, 1911 January 31, 1911 January 31, 1911 January 17, 1923 Elevated
21 Alexis C. Angell E.D. Mich. February 25, 1911 March 2, 1911 March 2, 1911 June 1, 1912 –
22 Clarence W. Sessions W.D. Mich. February 25, 1911 March 2, 1911 March 2, 1911 April 1, 1931 –
23 Charles B. Witmer M.D. Pa. February 20, 1911 March 2, 1911 March 2, 1911 April 7, 1925 –
24 William Louis Day N.D. Ohio April 6, 1911 May 9, 1911 May 9, 1911 May 1, 1914 –
25 James Douglas Elliott D.S.D. May 25, 1911 June 7, 1911 June 7, 1911 January 30, 1933 –
26 Henry Augustus Middleton Smith D.S.C. / W.D.S.C.
E.D.S.C. 		May 25, 1911 June 7, 1911 June 7, 1911 November 23, 1923[7] November 23, 1924
27 Frank A. Youmans W.D. Ark. May 29, 1911 June 20, 1911 June 20, 1911 April 11, 1932 –
28 William Hayes Pope D.N.M. January 22, 1912 February 20, 1912 February 20, 1912 September 13, 1916 –
29 Julius Marshuetz Mayer S.D.N.Y. February 19, 1912 February 26, 1912 February 26, 1912 October 13, 1921 Elevated
30 George M. Bourquin D. Mont. February 13, 1912 March 8, 1912 March 8, 1912 March 9, 1934 November 15, 1958
31 Ferdinand August Geiger E.D. Wis. February 19, 1912 March 20, 1912 March 20, 1912 May 22, 1939 –
32 Edward E. Cushman W.D. Wash. April 9, 1912 May 1, 1912 May 1, 1912 November 3, 1939 January 25, 1944
33 Joseph Whitaker Thompson E.D. Pa. June 5, 1912 June 16, 1912 July 16, 1912 February 3, 1931 Elevated
34 Arthur J. Tuttle E.D. Mich. August 2, 1912 August 6, 1912 August 6, 1912 December 2, 1944 –
35 James Madison Morton Jr. D. Mass. August 9, 1912 August 12, 1912 August 12, 1912 January 19, 1932 Elevated
36 John Moses Cheney S.D. Fla. July 25, 1912[Rn 2] – August 26, 1912[8] March 3, 1913 –
37 Clinton Woodbury Howard W.D. Wash. August 19, 1912[Rn 2] – August 26, 1912[8] March 3, 1913 –
38 Richard Elihu Sloan D. Ariz. March 1, 1912[Rn 2] – August 26, 1912[8] March 3, 1913 –

Specialty courts

United States Commerce Court

# Judge Nomination
date 		Confirmation
date 		Began active
service 		Ended active
service
1 Martin Augustine Knapp December 12, 1910 December 20, 1910 December 20, 1910 December 13, 1913
2 Robert W. Archbald December 12, 1910 January 31, 1911 January 31, 1911 January 13, 1913[3]
3 John Emmett Carland December 12, 1910 January 31, 1911 January 31, 1911 December 13, 1913
4 Julian Mack December 12, 1910 January 31, 1911 January 31, 1911 December 13, 1913
5 William Henry Hunt December 12, 1910 January 31, 1911 February 8, 1911 December 13, 1913

United States Court of Customs Appeals

# Judge Nomination
date 		Confirmation
date 		Began active
service 		Ended active
service 		Ended senior
status
1 Orion M. Barber January 5, 1910[Rn 3] March 30, 1910 March 30, 1910 September 30, 1928 March 28, 1930
2 Marion De Vries January 5, 1910[Rn 3] March 30, 1910 March 30, 1910 June 28, 1921[9] –
3 William Henry Hunt January 5, 1910[Rn 3] March 30, 1910 March 30, 1910 January 31, 1911 Elevated
4 Robert Morris Montgomery March 9, 1910 March 30, 1910 March 30, 1910 June 27, 1920 –
5 James Francis Smith January 5, 1910[Rn 3] March 30, 1910 March 30, 1910 June 29, 1928 –
6 George Ewing Martin February 1, 1911 February 8, 1911 February 8, 1911 January 4, 1923[10] –

Board of General Appraisers

# Judge Nomination
date 		Confirmation
date 		Began active
service 		Ended active
service
1 Samuel B. Cooper May 16, 1910 May 24, 1910 May 26, 1910 August 21, 1918

Notes

  1. ^ See List of United States district and territorial courts
Renominations
  1. ^ Previously nominated by President Roosevelt on April 23, 1908. Renominated by President Roosevelt on December 8, 1908.
  2. ^ a b c Renominated on December 3, 1912.
  3. ^ a b c d Originally nominated on January 5, 1910. Nomination was withdrawn on February 22, 1910 and renominated on March 9, 1910.

References

General
  • "Judges of the United States Courts". Biographical Directory of Federal Judges. Federal Judicial Center. Archived from the original on 2016-07-30. Retrieved 2009-04-03.
Specific
  1. ^ All information on the names, terms of service, and details of appointment of federal judges is derived from the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a public-domain publication of the Federal Judicial Center.
  2. ^ Reassigned by operation of law to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit on January 1, 1916.
  3. ^ a b Removed from office due to impeachment and conviction.
  4. ^ Reassigned by operation of law to the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit on July 1, 1929.
  5. ^ Recess appointment; resigned with no formal nomination having been submitted. Hundley had previously been appointed by recess appointment twice by Taft's predecessor, Theodore Roosevelt, and both times his nomination was not confirmed by the United States Senate.
  6. ^ Recess appointment; resigned with no formal nomination having been submitted. Purdy had previously been appointed by recess appointment by Taft's predecessor, Theodore Roosevelt, and his nomination was not confirmed by the United States Senate.
  7. ^ On January 1, 1912, Smith was reassigned by operation of law to the United States District Court for the Eastern District of South Carolina and the United States District Court for the Western District of South Carolina. On March 3, 1915, he was reassigned to serve only on the Eastern District
  8. ^ a b c Recess appointment; formally nominated on December 3, 1912, but not confirmed by the United States Senate.
  9. ^ Laterally appointed as Presiding Judge of the same court on June 28, 1921.
  10. ^ Laterally appointed as Presiding Judge of the same court on January 4, 1923.

Sources