Roy Winfield Harper

Born on July 26, 1905, in Gibson, Missouri, Harper received an Artium Baccalaureus degree in 1929 from the University of Missouri and a Bachelor of Laws in 1929 from the University of Missouri School of Law. He was an attorney with the real estate appraisal division of Shell Oil Company from 1929 to 1931. He was in private practice in Steele, Missouri from 1931 to 1934 and in Caruthersville, Missouri from 1934 to 1947. He served in the United States Army Air Corps as a Major from 1942 to 1945.[1]

Harper received a recess appointment from President Harry S. Truman on August 7, 1947, to a joint seat on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri and the United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri vacated by Judge John Caskie Collet. He was nominated to the same position by President Truman on November 24, 1947. His service terminated on December 19, 1947, after his nomination was not confirmed by the United States Senate. He received a second recess appointment to the same position on December 20, 1947.[Note 1] His service terminated on June 20, 1948, after his nomination was not confirmed by the Senate. He received a third recess appointment to the same position on June 22, 1948. He was nominated to the same position by President Truman on January 13, 1949. He was confirmed by the Senate on January 31, 1949, and received his commission on February 2, 1949. He served as Chief Judge of the Eastern District from 1959 to 1971. He was a member of the Judicial Conference of the United States from 1965 to 1971. He assumed senior status on January 5, 1971. He was a member of the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation from 1977 to 1983. His service terminated on February 13, 1994, due to his death in Chesterfield, Missouri.[1]

• Missouri Historical Society St. Louis, Missouri, Roy W. Harper family papers, 1950–1990. 7 boxes; collection contains case files, printed opinions, correspondence, and miscellaneous papers. The collection remained unprocessed as of August 1997.
• University of Missouri and the State Historical Society of Missouri Western Historical Manuscript Collection Columbia, Missouri
• Paul Caruthers Jones papers, 1943–1969; 60 ft.; finding aid; 13 folders pertaining to Harper.
• Forrest Smith papers, 1940–1953; 6,658 folders, 11 vols., and 8 card files; finding aid; represented.
• George A. Spencer papers, 1948–1960; 653 folders, 9 boxes, and 1 vol.; finding aid; restricted; represented.

• Roy Winfield Harper at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a public domain publication of the Federal Judicial Center.

Federal Judge "Roy" Winfield Harper and his wife Ruth Butt Harper, October 30, 1954

• https://web.archive.org/web/20090210153545/http://harpersinmissouri.com/Page9.html
• "The Political Graveyard: Pemiscot County, Mo". politicalgraveyard.com.
• "Historical Society Board of Directors". www.lb8.uscourts.gov.
• "Fifth Circuit Library Internet Page". www.lb5.uscourts.gov.
• "Truman Library - Judge Roy W. Harper Oral History Interview". www.trumanlibrary.org.
• "Truman Library - Roy W. Harper Papers". www.trumanlibrary.org.
• LOG OF PRESIDENT TRUMAN’S ELEVENTH VISIT TO KEY WEST, FLORIDA MARCH 7- 27, 1952