John McKenzie Moss (January 3, 1868 – June 11, 1929) was a

United States representative 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 chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

from

Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia to ...

and a

judge A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as a part of a panel of judges. A judge hears all the witnesses and any other evidence presented by the barristers or solicitors of the case, assesses the credibility an ...

of the Court of Claims.

Education and career

Born on January 3, 1868, on a farm near Bennettstown, an unincorporated community in

Christian County Christian County is the name of several counties in the United States: * Christian County, Illinois * Christian County, Kentucky * Christian County, Missouri Christian County is located in the southwestern part of the U.S. state of Missouri. ...

, Moss was a nephew of

James A. McKenzie James Andrew McKenzie (August 1, 1840 – June 25, 1904) was a U.S. Representative from Kentucky and uncle of John McKenzie Moss. Born in Bennettstown, Kentucky, McKenzie attended the common schools of Christian County and Centre College, Da ...

. He attended the common and private schools, the Kent College of Law (now the

Chicago-Kent College of Law Chicago-Kent College of Law is the law school affiliated with the Illinois Institute of Technology. It is the second oldest law school in the state of Illinois. It is ranked 91st among U.S. law schools, and its trial advocacy program is ranked in ...

), and

read law Reading law was the method used in common law countries, particularly the United States, for people to prepare for and enter the legal profession before the advent of law schools. It consisted of an extended internship or apprenticeship under the ...

with W.G. and A.T. Ewing in

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

in 1893. He worked for the

Railway Mail Service The Railway Mail Service of the United States Post Office Department was a significant mail transportation service in the US from the mid-19th century until the mid-20th century. The RMS, or its successor the Postal Transportation Service (PTS), ...

from 1888 to 1891. He was admitted to the bar and entered private practice in

Bowling Green A bowling green is a finely laid, close-mown and rolled stretch of turf for playing the game of bowls. Before 1830, when Edwin Beard Budding of Thrupp, near Stroud, UK, invented the lawnmower, lawns were often kept cropped by grazing sheep on ...

, Kentucky from 1893 to 1902. During the same time period he worked in other counties adjoining

Warren County Warren County is the name of fourteen counties in the USA. Some are named after General Joseph Warren, who was killed in the Battle of Bunker Hill in the American Revolutionary War: * Warren County, Georgia * Warren County, Illinois * Warren County ...

Congressional service

Moss successfully contested as a

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

the election of

John Stockdale Rhea John Stockdale Rhea (March 9, 1855 – July 29, 1924) was a U.S. Representative from Kentucky. Born in Russellville, Kentucky, Rhea pursued preparatory studies. He attended Bethel College, Russellville, Kentucky, and Washington and Lee Univers ...

to 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 ...

of the

57th United States Congress The 57th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, DC from March 4, 1901, to ...

and served from March 25, 1902, to March 3, 1903. He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1902 to the

58th United States Congress The 58th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, DC, from March 4, 1903, to ...

Later career

Moss returned to private practice in Bowling Green from 1903 to 1909. He was a judge of the Kentucky Circuit Court for the Eighth Judicial District from 1909 to 1921. He worked in the

Office of Alien Property Custodian The Office of Alien Property Custodian was an office within the government of the United States during World War I and again during World War II, serving as a custodian to property that belonged to US enemies. The office was created in 1917 by E ...

from 1921 to 1922, as assistant general counsel from 1921 to 1922 and as general counsel in 1922. He was Deputy Commissioner of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (now the

Internal Revenue Service The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is the revenue service for the United States federal government, which is responsible for collecting U.S. federal taxes and administering the Internal Revenue Code, the main body of the federal statutory ta ...

) in charge of estate and capital tax in the

United States Department of the Treasury The Department of the Treasury (USDT) is the national treasury and finance department of the federal government of the United States, where it serves as an executive department. The department oversees the Bureau of Engraving and Printing and t ...

from 1922 to 1923. He was an Assistant Secretary of the Treasury from 1923 to 1926.

Federal judicial service

Moss was nominated by President

Calvin Coolidge Calvin Coolidge (born John Calvin Coolidge Jr.; ; July 4, 1872January 5, 1933) was the 30th president of the United States from 1923 to 1929. Born in Vermont, Coolidge was a History of the Republican Party (United States), Republican lawyer ...

on May 26, 1926, to a seat on the Court of Claims (later the

United States Court of Claims The Court of Claims was a federal court that heard claims against the United States government. It was established in 1855, renamed in 1948 to the United States Court of Claims (), and abolished in 1982. Then, its jurisdiction was assumed by the n ...

) vacated by Judge George Eddy Downey. 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 June 7, 1926, and received his commission the same day. His service terminated on June 11, 1929, due to his death in

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

He was interred in Powell Cemetery in

LaFayette Lafayette or La Fayette may refer to: People * Lafayette (name), a list of people with the surname Lafayette or La Fayette or the given name Lafayette * House of La Fayette, a French noble family ** Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette (1757� ...

, Christian County, Kentucky.

References

Sources

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Moss, J. Mckenzie 1868 births 1929 deaths Kentucky state court judges Judges of the United States Court of Claims United States Article I federal judges appointed by Calvin Coolidge 20th-century American judges Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Kentucky United States Department of the Treasury officials United States Assistant Secretaries of the Treasury