John Joseph Smith (January 25, 1904 – February 16, 1980) was an American lawyer, 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

Connecticut Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its cap ...

, a

United States circuit judge In the United States, federal judges are judges who serve on courts established under Article Three of the U.S. Constitution. They include the chief justice and the associate justices of the U.S. Supreme Court, the circuit judges of the U.S. Cou ...

of the

United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit The United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit (in case citations, 2d Cir.) is one of the thirteen United States Courts of Appeals. Its territory comprises the states of Connecticut, New York and Vermont. The court has appellate juri ...

and a United States district judge of the

United States District Court for the District of Connecticut The United States District Court for the District of Connecticut (in case citations, D. Conn.) is the federal district court whose jurisdiction is the state of Connecticut. The court has offices in Bridgeport, Hartford, and New Haven. Appeals ...

Education and career

Born in Waterbury,

, Smith attended the public schools, and earned his

Bachelor of Arts 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

Yale University Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wo ...

in 1925 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 Yale's law department (later

Yale Law School Yale Law School (Yale Law or YLS) is the law school of Yale University, a Private university, private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. It was established in 1824 and has been ranked as the best law school in the United States by ''U ...

) in 1927. Smith was admitted to the bar in 1927. He was a research fellow at Yale Law School from 1927 to 1928. Smith served in the

Field Artillery Field artillery is a category of mobile artillery used to support armies in the field. These weapons are specialized for mobility, tactical proficiency, short range, long range, and extremely long range target engagement. Until the early 20t ...

Reserves from 1925 to 1935. He was in private practice in Waterbury from 1928 to 1941.

Congressional service

Smith was elected as a

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

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 ...

, serving as a

from Connecticut from 1935 to 1941 (in the Seventy-fourth, Seventy-fifth, Seventy-sixth, and Seventy-seventh Congresses). He resigned from Congress on November 4, 1941, to accept appointment to the federal bench.

Federal judicial service

Smith was nominated by President

Franklin D. Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt (; ; January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), often referred to by his initials FDR, was an American politician and attorney who served as the 32nd president of the United States from 1933 until his death in 1945. As the ...

on October 16, 1941, to a seat on the

vacated by Judge

Edwin Stark Thomas Edwin Stark Thomas (November 11, 1872 – January 21, 1952) was a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of Connecticut. Education and career Born on November 11, 1872, in Woodstock, Illinois, Thomas r ...

. 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 October 28, 1941, and received his commission on October 30, 1941. He served as Chief Judge from 1953 to 1960. His service terminated on September 13, 1960, due to his elevation to the Second Circuit. Smith was nominated by President

Dwight D. Eisenhower Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower (born David Dwight Eisenhower; ; October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969) was an American military officer and statesman who served as the 34th president of the United States from 1953 to 1961. During World War II, ...

on January 11, 1960, to a seat on the

vacated by Judge Carroll C. Hincks. He was confirmed by the Senate on September 1, 1960, and received his commission the next day. He assumed

senior status Senior status is a form of semi-retirement for United States federal judges. To qualify, a judge in the Federal judiciary of the United States, federal court system must be at least 65 years old, and the sum of the judge's age and years of servi ...

on November 6, 1971. His service terminated on February 16, 1980, due to his death.

Later life and death

Smith resided in West Hartford, Connecticut. He died in Waterbury on February 16, 1980. Smith is interred at Calvary Cemetery in Waterbury.

References

Sources

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, John Joseph 1904 births 1980 deaths Judges of the United States District Court for the District of Connecticut United States district court judges appointed by Franklin D. Roosevelt 20th-century American judges Judges of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit United States court of appeals judges appointed by Dwight D. Eisenhower Yale Law School alumni Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Connecticut 20th-century American lawyers 20th-century American politicians