William Joseph Nealon Jr.
| William Joseph Nealon Jr. | |
|---|---|
| Senior Judge of the United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania | |
|
In office January 1, 1989 – August 30, 2018 | |
| Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania | |
|
In office 1976–1989 | |
| Preceded by | Michael Henry Sheridan |
| Succeeded by | Richard Paul Conaboy |
| Judge of the United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania | |
|
In office December 13, 1962 – January 1, 1989 | |
| Appointed by | John F. Kennedy |
| Preceded by | John W. Murphy |
| Succeeded by | James Focht McClure Jr. |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
July 31, 1923 Scranton, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Died |
August 30, 2018 (aged 95) Scranton, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Education |
Villanova University (B.S.) Columbus School of Law (LL.B.) |
William Joseph Nealon Jr. (July 31, 1923 – August 30, 2018) was an American jurist who was United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania. He was the last judicial appointee from the Kennedy administration remaining on the federal bench and was the longest-serving current federal judge at his death. On August 28, 2018, he became the longest serving federal district judge in history, two days before his death.
Education and career
Born on July 31, 1923,[1] in Scranton, Pennsylvania, Nealon was a First Lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps during World War II, from 1942 to 1945. He received a Bachelor of Science degree from Villanova University in 1947 and a Bachelor of Laws from the Columbus School of Law at the Catholic University of America in 1950. He was in private practice in Scranton from 1951 to 1960, also lecturing at the University of Scranton from 1951 to 1959. He was a hearing examiner for the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board from 1955 to 1959. He was a judge on the Lackawanna County Court of Common Pleas from 1960 to 1962.[2]
Federal judicial service
On December 13, 1962 Nealon received a recess appointment from President John F. Kennedy to a seat on the United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania vacated by John W. Murphy. Formally nominated on January 15, 1963, Nealon was confirmed by the United States Senate on March 15, 1963, and received his commission on March 27, 1963. He served as Chief Judge from 1976 to 1989, assuming senior status on January 1, 1989.[2] On August 28, 2018, he became the longest serving federal district judge in history as well as the longest serving federal district judge on a single court.[3][4] He broke the record held by Henry Potter, an early 19th century judge. He died on August 30, 2018, in Scranton, two days after achieving that milestone.[5]
Honor
The William J. Nealon Federal Building and United States Courthouse, located in Scranton, is named in his honor.[3]
References
- ↑ CQ Congressional Quarterly Weekly Report. 21. Washington, D.C.: Congressional Quarterly. 1963. p. 1176.
- 1 2 "Nealon, William Joseph, Jr. - Federal Judicial Center". www.fjc.gov.
- 1 2 WRITER, BY JEFF HORVATH, STAFF. "Nealon to become longest-serving federal district judge in U.S. history".
- ↑ REPORT, STAFF. "Nealon becomes longest-serving federal district court judge in U.S. history".
- ↑ "Federal Judge William Nealon Passed Away". 30 August 2018.
Sources
- William Joseph Nealon Jr. at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a public domain publication of the Federal Judicial Center.
| Legal offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by John W. Murphy |
Judge of the United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania 1962–1989 |
Succeeded by James Focht McClure Jr. |
| Preceded by Michael Henry Sheridan |
Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania 1976–1989 |
Succeeded by Richard Paul Conaboy |