# List of federal judges appointed by William Howard Taft

* This article is part of a series aboutWilliam 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. 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.
* Taft picked Edward Douglass White to be Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.
* Willis Van Devanter was the longest-serving of Taft's five Supreme Court appointees.
* Learned Hand, appointed by Taft to the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, was later elevated by Calvin Coolidge to the United States Court of Appeals for the Second 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 | – |
| 5 | Robert W. Archbald | Third | December 12, 1910 | January 31, 1911 | January 31, 1911 | January 13, 1913 | – |
| 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 | 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 | Nomination date | Confirmation date | Began active service | Ended active service | Ended senior status |
| 1 | Oscar Richard Hundley | N.D. Ala. | – | – | March 6, 1909 | May 25, 1909 | – |
| 2 | Milton D. Purdy | D. Minn. | December 8, 1908 | – | March 6, 1909 | 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 | 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 | – | August 26, 1912 | March 3, 1913 | – |
| 37 | Clinton Woodbury Howard | W.D. Wash. | August 19, 1912 | – | August 26, 1912 | March 3, 1913 | – |
| 38 | Richard Elihu Sloan | D. Ariz. | March 1, 1912 | – | August 26, 1912 | 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 | 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 | March 30, 1910 | March 30, 1910 | September 30, 1928 | March 28, 1930 |
| 2 | Marion De Vries | January 5, 1910 | March 30, 1910 | March 30, 1910 | June 28, 1921 | – |
| 3 | William Henry Hunt | January 5, 1910 | 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 | 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 | – |

### 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 |