Willis Van Devanter

Willis Van Devanter
Current Court Information:
Supreme Court of the United States
Title:	Former Associate Justice
Position:	Seat #2
Service:
Appointed by:	William H. Taft
Active:	12/16/1910 - 6/2/1937
Senior:	6/2/1937 - 2/8/1941
Preceded by:	Edward Douglass White
Succeeded by:	Hugo Black
Past post:	Eighth Circuit
Past term:	2/4/1903 - 12/16/1910
Personal History
Born:	April 17, 1859
Home State:	Marion, IN
Deceased:	February 8, 1941
Law School:	U. of Cincinnati Law, LL.B., 1881

Willis Van Devanter (1859-1941) was an Associate Justice on the Supreme Court of the United States and a judge for the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit. He joined the Supreme Court in 1910 after an appointment from William H. Taft. He joined the Eighth Circuit in 1903 after an appointment from Theodore Roosevelt. At the time of appointment, he was the Assistant U.S. attorney general for the U.S. Department of Interior. On June 2, 1937, he assumed senior status. He served until his death on February 8, 1941.

Early life and education

• University of Cincinnati College of Law, LL.B., 1881

Professional career

• Private practice, Marion, Indiana, 1881-1884
• Private practice, Cheyenne, Wyoming, 1884-1887
• Commissioner to revise the Wyoming statutes, U.S. Teritorial Court, Territory of Wyoming, 1886
• City attorney, Cheyenne, Wyoming, 1887-1888
• Member, Wyoming Territorial Legislature, 1888
• Judge, U.S. District Court for the Territory of Wyoming, 1889-1890
• Chief justice, Supreme Court, State of Wyoming, 1890
• Private practice, Cheyenne, Wyoming, 1890-1897
• Assistant U.S. attorney general, U.S. Department of Interior, Washington, DC, 1896-1903
• Professor, Columbian University School of Law, 1897-1903

Federal judicial career

Supreme Court

Van Devanter was nominated to the Supreme Court by President William Howard Taft on December 12, 1910 to fill a seat vacated by Edward Douglass White. He was confirmed by the Senate on December 15th, and received commission on December 16, 1910. On June 2, 1937, he assumed senior status. He served until his death on February 8, 1941. He was succeeded to this post by Hugo Black.

Eighth Circuit

Van Devanter was previously a federal judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit. He was nominated by President Theodore Roosevelt on February 4, 1903 to fill a seat created by 32 Stat. 791. He was confirmed by the Senate on February 18th, and received commission that same day. He served on this court until December 16, 1910. He was succeeded to this post by Walter Inglewood Smith.

See also

• Supreme Court of the United States
• United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit

External links

• Biography from the Law Library - American Law and Legal Information.

References

Federal judicial offices
Preceded by: NA - new seat	Circuit Courts for the Eighth Circuit 1903–1910	Succeeded by: Walter Inglewood Smith
Preceded by: NA - new seat	Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals 1903–1910	Succeeded by: Walter Inglewood Smith
Preceded by: Edward Douglass White	Supreme Court 1910–1941 Seat #2	Succeeded by: Hugo Black