Morgan Dennis Ford (September 8, 1911 – January 2, 1992) was 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 United States Court of International Trade.

Education and career

Born on September 8, 1911, in Wheatland,

North Dakota North Dakota () is a U.S. state in the Upper Midwest, named after the Native Americans in the United States, indigenous Dakota people, Dakota Sioux. North Dakota is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba to the north a ...

, Ford was the nephew of senator William "Wild Bill" Langer. He received a

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 in 1935 from the

University of North Dakota The University of North Dakota (also known as UND or North Dakota) is a public research university in Grand Forks, North Dakota. It was established by the Dakota Territorial Assembly in 1883, six years before the establishment of the state of ...

. He received a

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 ...

in 1938 from Georgetown Law. He worked in private practice in Fargo, North Dakota, from 1939 to 1949. He served as the city attorney of Casselton, North Dakota, from 1942 to 1948. He served as a member of the Selective Service Advisory Board from 1942 to 1945.

Federal judicial service

Ford was nominated by President

Harry S. Truman Harry S. Truman (May 8, 1884December 26, 1972) was the 33rd president of the United States, serving from 1945 to 1953. A leader of the Democratic Party, he previously served as the 34th vice president from January to April 1945 under Franklin ...

on June 22, 1949, to a seat on the United States Customs Court vacated by Judge William Josiah Tilson. 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 July 12, 1949, and received his commission on July 15, 1949. Ford was initially appointed as a Judge under

Article I Article One may refer to: Legal codes * Article One of the United States Constitution, pertaining to the powers of the United States Congress * Article One of the Constitution of India, pertaining to the federal nature of the republic Other us ...

, but the court was raised to Article III status by

operation of law The phrase "by operation of law" is a legal term that indicates that a right or liability has been created for a party, irrespective of the intent of that party, because it is dictated by existing legal principles. For example, if a person dies wi ...

on July 14, 1956, and Ford thereafter served as an Article III Judge. Ford was reassigned by

to the United States Court of International Trade on November 1, 1980, to a new seat authorized by 94 Stat. 1727. 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 December 31, 1985. His service terminated on January 2, 1992, due to his death in

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. He was succeeded by Judge R. Kenton Musgrave.

References

Sources

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Ford, Morgan Dennis 1911 births 1992 deaths Judges of the United States Court of International Trade People from North Dakota University of North Dakota alumni Georgetown University Law Center alumni Judges of the United States Customs Court United States Article I federal judges appointed by Harry S. Truman 20th-century American judges