Evening star., 1946-10-11
Keech 10 Take
Oath as Juriist
This Month
Will Succeed Adkins
As DistrictC
a.
Associate Justice

Associate Justice
Richmond B. Keech, 40, former
corporation counsel, now admins
trative assistant to President Tru'
man, will be sworn in later thi.
month as associate justice Of Dis
trict Court, succeeding Jesse c. Ad.
kins, who retires Tuesday.
Appointed yesterday by President
Truman. the new jurist will take his
new oath OF office as soon as he car
complete his White House assign
ment. A date for this had not beer
fixed early today.
Mr.. Keech will serve as justice
of the court during the interim term
but his nomination will so to the
Senate for confirmation soon after
the S0th Congress convenes In
January. Federal judges are ap-
pointed for life at an annual salary
of $4,000.
Meantime, it also was learned
that Associate Justice Daniel W.
ODonoghue also plans to retire
from District Court sometime late
this month or early in November
The jurist told The Star he will
reach his 10th birthday next week
and plans to leave the bench.
Retirement of Justice Adkins, and
appointment of his successor were
announced by President Truman at
his press conference late yesterday
Adkins Appointed in 1880.
Justice Adkins, who is 81, retired
at full pay under provisions of a
law permitting retirement for III
heath after 10 years service on the
berfch. He had been appointed by
President Hoover in June. 1880.
The new associate justice-d -desig-
nate has been an outstanding fg-
ure in the District government. He
served the municipality about 20
years in various posts of legal re-
sponsibility. He moved up to his
White House job last October.
AS one of the six administrative
assistants to President Truman, Mr..
Keech has been assigned almost
exclusively to legal problems. How
soon he can clear his desk OF pres
ent duties was not certain.
The appointment of MIR. Keech, a
District native, was hailed through
out District legal and civic circles
today. The filling of judgeships in
washington by lawyers from this
city long has been one Of the strong
recommendation OF organized citi-
zens' groups.
His elevation to the bench meets
this oft-expressed wish OF voteless
Washingtonians and was welcomed
by his many friends and associates,
who have admired his efficient pub
lie service.
Il am very grateful for the con-
fidence the President has shown in
me-" he said yesterday.
Commissioner John Russell Young
said: mo news in recent months
has delighted me more than the an
nouncement of Richmonus ap-
pointment as an Associate Justice
of District Court" s-
Attended Public Schools.
A product of the District public
schools, Mr.. Keech entered George
town University, but left in 1917
to serve in the naval transport serv-
ice as a chief petty officer. He saw
duty from April. 1917, to October,
1919, mostly on the transport Mat
sonia.
Following his discharge from the
Navy, he returned to Georgetown
University and completed work Tor
the degrees of bachelor and master
of law. He became member OF
the District bar in 1922 and Joined
the law firm of Gregory 81 Todd.
The head of the firm, Thomas Watt
Gregory, served as Attorney General
during the Wilson administration.
Later Mr.. Keech was with the law
firm of Burkart & Quinn.
His public service for the Dlstrlct
started in 1925 as an assistant cor
poration counsel, in which capacity
he represented the District in all
courts here, including the Supreme
Court of the United States. In
1880 he was appointed by President
Hoover to be a peoples counsel,
succeeding Ralph B. Feharty.
AS peoples counsel, Mr.. Keech
helped to draft a modification OF
the sliding scale arrangement under
which courts held the commission
could compel the Potomac Electric
Power Co. to change rates. Other
cases in which he had a hand in
cluded valuation of the gas COM
pany. and return of 10000 from
the telephone company to con-
sumerS.
Took Part in Transit Merger.
He was active in litigation lead
ing to the merger of two street rail-
ways into the present Capital Tran
sit Co., and the requirement that
under the merger the railway must
pay a reasonable charge for power
provided by the Potomac Electric
Power Co.
Mr.. Keech was selected as law
member and vice chairman OF the
Public Utilities Commission In 1884
and as such passed on many major
problems of local utilities. In 1910
he became corporation counsel OF
the District, which involved also the
post of general counsel to the Public
Utilities Commission. He held that
post until elevated to his White
House duties last fall.
Mr.. Keech is former first vice
president of the District Bar Asso-
citation, and is director OF The
Barristers. He belongs to the Co.'S
tello Post of the American Legion,
the Rotary Club, Phi Alpha Delta
Legal Fraternity, the National Press
Club, and All Souls Episcopal
Church. He is bachelor.
Mr.. Keech was former president
of the Georgetown University Law
Alumni of the District, and also of
the Georgetown University Alumni
Council.