Jump to content

Thomas Whitfield Davidson

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Thomas Whitfield Davidson
Senior Judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas
In office
November 1, 1965 – January 26, 1974
Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas
In office
1954–1959
Preceded byWilliam H. Atwell
Succeeded byJoseph Brannon Dooley
Judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas
In office
February 5, 1936 – November 1, 1965
Appointed byFranklin D. Roosevelt
Preceded byEdward Roscoe Meek
Succeeded byWilliam McLaughlin Taylor Jr.
27th Lieutenant Governor of Texas
In office
January 16, 1923 – January 20, 1925
GovernorPat Morris Neff
Preceded byLynch Davidson
Succeeded byBarry Miller
Personal details
Born
Thomas Whitfield Davidson

(1876-09-23)September 23, 1876
Harrison County, Texas
DiedJanuary 26, 1974(1974-01-26) (aged 97)
Educationread law

Thomas Whitfield Davidson (September 23, 1876 – January 26, 1974) was a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas.

Education and career

[edit]

Born in Harrison County, Texas, Davidson read law to enter the bar in 1903.[1] He briefly attended East Texas State Normal College (now Texas A&M University–Commerce) before studying at the University of Chicago and then Columbia University.[2] He was in private practice in Marshall, Texas from 1903 to 1907. He was the city attorney of Marshall 1907 to 1914, thereafter resuming his private practice in Dallas, Texas until 1920. Davidson was a member of the Texas Senate from 1920 to 1922, and was lieutenant governor of Texas from 1923 to 1925 serving under Governor Pat Morris Neff. He then returned to private practice in Dallas until 1936.[1]

Federal judicial service

[edit]

On January 22, 1936, Davidson was nominated by President Franklin D. Roosevelt to a seat on the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas vacated by Judge Edward Roscoe Meek. Davidson was confirmed by the United States Senate on January 30, 1936, and received his commission on February 5, 1936. He served as Chief Judge from 1954 to 1959, and assumed senior status on November 1, 1965, holding that position until his death on January 26, 1974.[1]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c Thomas Whitfield Davidson at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a publication of the Federal Judicial Center.
  2. ^ La Forte, Robert S. (2003). "Lieutenant Governors: Thomas W. Davidson". The Texas Politics Project. Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved July 10, 2016.

Sources

[edit]
Party political offices
Preceded by Democratic nominee for Lieutenant Governor of Texas
1922
Succeeded by
Political offices
Preceded by Lieutenant Governor of Texas
1923–1925
Succeeded by
Legal offices
Preceded by Judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas
1936–1965
Succeeded by
Preceded by Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas
1954–1959
Succeeded by