Roy Laverne Stephenson (March 14, 1917 – November 5, 1982) was 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 Eighth Circuit The United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit (in case citations, 8th Cir.) is a United States federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the following United States district courts: * Eastern District of Arkansas * Western Dis ...

and previously was a United States district judge of the

United States District Court for the Southern District of Iowa The United States District Court for the Southern District of Iowa (in case citations, S.D. Iowa) has jurisdiction over forty-seven of Iowa's ninety-nine counties. It is subject to the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, Eighth ...

Education and career

Born in Spirit Lake,

Iowa Iowa () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wisconsin to the northeast, Illinois to the ...

, Stephenson graduated from high school in nearby Spencer, Iowa. 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 from the

State University of Iowa The University of Iowa (UI, U of I, UIowa, or simply Iowa) is a public research university in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. Founded in 1847, it is the oldest and largest university in the state. The University of Iowa is organized into 12 coll ...

(now

University of Iowa The University of Iowa (UI, U of I, UIowa, or simply Iowa) is a public university, public research university in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. Founded in 1847, it is the oldest and largest university in the state. The University of Iowa is org ...

) in 1938, followed by a

Juris Doctor The Juris Doctor (J.D. or JD), also known as Doctor of Jurisprudence (J.D., JD, D.Jur., or DJur), is a graduate-entry professional degree in law and one of several Doctor of Law degrees. The J.D. is the standard degree obtained to practice law ...

from the State University of Iowa College of Law in 1940. He was a second lieutenant in the

United States Army Reserve The United States Army Reserve (USAR) is a Military reserve force, reserve force of the United States Army. Together, the Army Reserve and the Army National Guard constitute the Army element of the reserve components of the United States Armed F ...

from 1938 to 1941, while serving in private practice in

Mapleton Mapleton may refer to: Places Australia * Mapleton, Queensland, a rural town and locality in the Sunshine Coast Region Canada * Mapleton, New Brunswick, a rural community in Kings County * Mapleton, Moncton, New Brunswick, a neighborhood * Maple ...

, Iowa from 1940 to 1941. After the United States entered

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, he served in North Africa and Italy with the 34th Infantry Division of the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...

from 1941 to 1946, rising to the rank of captain. He was in private practice in

Des Moines Des Moines () is the capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small part of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines, ...

, Iowa from 1946 to 1953 until 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, ...

nominated him to serve as the

United States Attorney United States attorneys are officials of the U.S. Department of Justice who serve as the chief federal law enforcement officers in each of the 94 U.S. federal judicial districts. Each U.S. attorney serves as the United States' chief federal c ...

for the Southern District of Iowa, a position he held from 1953 to 1960. Before his appointment, while serving as chairman of the

Polk County Polk County is the name of twelve counties in the United States, all except two named after president of the United States James Knox Polk: * Polk County, Arkansas * Polk County, Florida * Polk County, Georgia * Polk County, Iowa * Polk Count ...

Republican Central Committee, Stephenson had been an early and active supporter of Eisenhower's candidacy."Judge is 'Man in a Hurry,'" Mason City Globe-Gazette, 1960-05-31, p. 1.

Federal judicial service

Stephenson was nominated by President

on May 16, 1960, to a seat on the

vacated by Judge

Edwin Richley Hicklin Edwin Richley HicklinSome sources give his middle name as Reichley. (March 1, 1895 – September 19, 1963) was a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Iowa. Education and career Born in Wa ...

. 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 May 26, 1960, and received his commission on May 31, 1960. He served as Chief Judge from 1961 to 1971. His service was terminated on July 6, 1971, due to his elevation to the Eighth Circuit. Stephenson was nominated by President

Richard Nixon Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913April 22, 1994) was the 37th president of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as a representative and senator from California and was ...

on June 1, 1971, to a seat on the

vacated by Judge Martin Donald Van Oosterhout. He was confirmed by the Senate on June 18, 1971, and received his commission on June 22, 1971. 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 April 1, 1982. His service was terminated on November 5, 1982, due to his death.

References

Sources

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Stephenson, Roy Laverne 1917 births 1982 deaths 20th-century American judges 20th-century American lawyers Judges of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit Judges of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Iowa Lawyers from Des Moines, Iowa People from Spirit Lake, Iowa People from Spencer, Iowa People from Mapleton, Iowa People from Polk County, Iowa United States Army officers United States Attorneys for the Southern District of Iowa United States court of appeals judges appointed by Richard Nixon United States district court judges appointed by Dwight D. Eisenhower University of Iowa alumni University of Iowa College of Law alumni