John Andrew Peters (August 13, 1864 – August 22, 1953) was a United States representative from Maine and a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of Maine.

Education and career

Born on August 13, 1864, in Ellsworth, Hancock County, Maine, Peters, a nephew of John A. Peters (1822–1904), attended the common schools. He received an

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 in 1885 from

Bowdoin College Bowdoin College ( ) is a private liberal arts college in Brunswick, Maine. When Bowdoin was chartered in 1794, Maine was still a part of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The college offers 34 majors and 36 minors, as well as several joint eng ...

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 ...

in 1887, and received an

Artium Magister A Master of Arts ( la, Magister Artium or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA, M.A., AM, or A.M.) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Tho ...

degree in 1888 from Bowdoin College. He entered private practice in Ellsworth from 1887 to 1913. He was a Judge of the Ellsworth Municipal Court from 1896 to 1908. He was a member of the

Maine House of Representatives The Maine House of Representatives is the lower house of the Maine Legislature. The House consists of 151 voting members and three nonvoting members. The voting members represent an equal number of districts across the state and are elected via p ...

in 1909, 1911 and 1913, serving as Speaker in 1913. He was a delegate at large to the

Republican National Convention The Republican National Convention (RNC) is a series of presidential nominating conventions held every four years since 1856 by the United States Republican Party. They are administered by the Republican National Committee. The goal of the Repu ...

in 1916. He served as Vice President of the Board of Trustees of Bowdoin College.

Congressional service

Peters was elected as a Republican to the United States House of Representatives of the

63rd United States Congress The 63rd 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, D.C. from March 4, 1913, to ...

, by special election, to fill the vacancy caused by the death of United States Representative Forrest Goodwin, and reelected to the four succeeding Congresses until his resignation on January 2, 1922, serving from September 9, 1913, to January 2, 1922.

Federal judicial service

Peters was nominated by President Warren G. Harding on October 25, 1921, to a seat on the United States District Court for the District of Maine vacated by Judge

Clarence Hale Clarence Hale (April 15, 1848 – April 9, 1934) was a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of Maine. Education and career Born in Turner, Maine, Hale received an Artium Baccalaureus degree from Bowdo ...

. He was confirmed by the United States Senate on November 14, 1921, and received his commission the same day. He, however, did not take his seat until January 2, 1922 after resigning from the House. He assumed senior status on January 2, 1947. His service terminated on August 1, 1953, due to his retirement.

Death

Peters died on August 22, 1953, in Ellsworth. He was interred in Woodbine Cemetery in Ellsworth.

References

Sources

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Peters, John Andrew 1864 births 1953 deaths People from Ellsworth, Maine Maine state court judges Speakers of the Maine House of Representatives Judges of the United States District Court for the District of Maine Bowdoin College alumni United States district court judges appointed by Warren G. Harding 20th-century American judges Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Maine