Bernard Joseph Leddy (March 18, 1910 – January 9, 1972) was a
United States district judge
The United States district courts are the trial courts of the United States federal judiciary, U.S. federal judiciary. There is one district court for each United States federal judicial district, federal judicial district, which each cover o ...
of the
United States District Court for the District of Vermont.
Education and career
Leddy was born in
Underhill,
Vermont
Vermont () is a state in the northeast New England region of the United States. Vermont is bordered by the states of Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, and New York to the west, and the Canadian province of Quebec to ...
on March 18, 1910, a son of John T. Leddy and Anna (Marlow) Leddy.
Leddy was educated in the parochial schools of Underhill and
Burlington
Burlington may refer to:
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* Burlington, Newfoundland and Labrador
* Burlington, Nova Scotia
* Burlington, Ontario, the most populous city with the name "Burlington"
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, and was a 1927 graduate of Burlington's Cathedral High School. He received his
Artium Baccalaureus
Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four years ...
degree from
Saint Michael's College
Saint Michael's College (St. Mikes or Saint Michael's) is a private Roman Catholic college in Colchester, Vermont. Saint Michael's was founded in 1904 by the Society of Saint Edmund. It grants Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees i ...
in 1931, and his
Bachelor of Laws
Bachelor of Laws ( la, Legum Baccalaureus; LL.B.) is an undergraduate law degree in the United Kingdom and most common law jurisdictions. Bachelor of Laws is also the name of the law degree awarded by universities in the People's Republic of Chi ...
from
Boston College Law School
Boston College Law School (BC Law) is the law school of Boston College. It is situated on a wooded campus in Newton, Massachusetts, about 1.5 miles from the university's main campus in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts.
With approximately 800 studen ...
in 1934.
He was a Burlington alderman from 1935 to 1940.
He was an
Assistant United States Attorney
An assistant United States attorney (AUSA) is an official career civil service position in the U.S. Department of Justice composed of lawyers working under the U.S. Attorney of each U.S. federal judicial district. They represent the federal gove ...
for Vermont from 1940 to 1954.
In 1946, Leddy was named chair of the Burlington Zoning Commission. In 1955, he was elected chair of the Saint Michael's College board of trustees. In 1956, he was elected chair of the Chittenden County Bar Association. Leddy was a civilian aide for the
United States Secretary of the Army
The secretary of the Army (SA or SECARMY) is a senior civilian official within the United States Department of Defense, with statutory responsibility for all matters relating to the United States Army: manpower, personnel, reserve affairs, insta ...
from 1962 to 1966.
Gubernatorial campaign
Leddy was the 1958 Democratic nominee for
Governor of Vermont.
At a time when Vermont was overwhelmingly Republican, Leddy lost to
Robert Stafford
Robert Theodore Stafford (August 8, 1913 – December 23, 2006) was an American politician from Vermont. In his lengthy political career, he served as the 71st governor of Vermont, a United States representative, and a U.S. Senator. A Republic ...
by only 719 votes (50.3% to 49.7%).
Leddy's strong showing in the governor's race, coupled with the win of Democrat
William H. Meyer in the election for Vermont's at-large seat in the
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the Lower house, lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States Senate, Senate being ...
, was an indicator that the state's Democrats were growing in strength after more than 100 years of Republican dominance in statewide elections.
Federal judicial service
Leddy was nominated by President
Lyndon B. Johnson on August 16, 1966, to the
United States District Court for the District of Vermont, to a new seat created by 80 Stat. 75. He was confirmed by the
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States.
The composition and pow ...
on August 25, 1966, and received his commission the same day. He served as Chief Judge from 1969 to 1972.
His service was terminated on January 9, 1972,
due to his death after suffering a
heart attack
A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which may tr ...
at his Burlington home.
He is buried at Resurrection Park Cemetery in
South Burlington
South Burlington is a city in Chittenden County, Vermont, United States. Along with neighboring Burlington, it is a principal city of the Burlington metropolitan area. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the population was 20,292. It is home to the head ...
.
Family
In 1939, Leddy married Johannah (Mahoney) Leddy.
They were the parents of sons John T. and the Reverend James P., and three daughters, Ann, Johannah, and Mary.
Johannah was the wife of Thomas Donovan. Ann is the wife of Alan Charron.
Leddy's son
James P. Leddy was a member of the
Vermont State Senate
The Vermont Senate is the upper house of the Vermont General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Vermont. The senate consists of 30 members. Senate districting divides the 30 members into three single-member districts, six two-m ...
.
His daughter
Johannah Leddy Donovan has served in the
Vermont House of Representatives
The Vermont House of Representatives is the lower house of the Vermont General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Vermont. The House comprises 150 members, with each member representing around 4,100 citizens. Representatives ar ...
since 2001.
His grandson
T. J. Donovan
Thomas J. "T. J." Donovan Jr. (born January 15, 1974) is an American lawyer and politician who served as Vermont Attorney General from 2017 to 2022. He was first elected in 2016 with over 66 percent of the vote. He previously served for ten years ...
was the
State's Attorney
In the United States, a district attorney (DA), county attorney, state's attorney, prosecuting attorney, commonwealth's attorney, or state attorney is the chief prosecutor and/or chief law enforcement officer representing a U.S. state in a loc ...
for
Chittenden County, Vermont, prior to winning election as
Vermont Attorney General
The Vermont Attorney General is a statewide elected executive official in the U.S. state of Vermont who is elected every two years. It was created by an act of the Vermont General Assembly in 1790, repealed in 1797, and revived in 1904. The office ...
in 2016.
Honor
A park in Burlington is named in Leddy's honor.
Enjoy Burlington: Leddy Park information page
References
Sources
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Leddy, Bernard J.
1910 births
1972 deaths
Saint Michael's College alumni
Boston College Law School alumni
Vermont Democrats
Vermont lawyers
Vermont city council members
Judges of the United States District Court for the District of Vermont
United States district court judges appointed by Lyndon B. Johnson
20th-century American judges
People from Underhill, Vermont
Burials in Vermont
20th-century American lawyers
Assistant United States Attorneys