William Lynn Parkinson (September 18, 1902 – October 26, 1959) 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 Seventh Circuit The United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit (in case citations, 7th Cir.) is the U.S. federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the courts in the following districts: * Central District of Illinois * Northern District of Il ...

and previously was a United States district judge of the

United States District Court for the Northern District of Indiana The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Indiana (in case citations, N.D. Ind.) was created in 1928 by an act of Congress that split Indiana into two separate districts, northern and southern. As part of the act, the Northern Distr ...

Education and career

Born in

Attica Attica ( el, Αττική, Ancient Greek ''Attikḗ'' or , or ), or the Attic Peninsula, is a historical region that encompasses the city of Athens, the capital of Greece and its countryside. It is a peninsula projecting into the Aegean Se ...

Indiana Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...

, Parkinson

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 ...

to enter the bar in 1923. He was in private practice 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� ...

, Indiana, from 1923 to 1937. He was a Judge of the Indiana Circuit Court for the Twenty-Third Judicial Circuit from 1937 to 1954.

Federal judicial service

Parkinson 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 August 2, 1954, to the

, to a new seat authorized by 68 Stat. 8. 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 August 6, 1954, and received his commission on August 6, 1954. His service terminated on September 9, 1957, due to his elevation to the Seventh Circuit. Parkinson was nominated by President Eisenhower on August 21, 1957, to a seat on the

vacated by Judge Hardress Nathan Swaim. He was confirmed by the Senate on August 22, 1957, and received his commission on August 26, 1957. His service terminated on October 26, 1959, due to his death.

Death

Parkinson disappeared on October 26, 1959, under mysterious circumstances while returning to his apartment from his

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

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...

, judicial office. Witnesses who saw him shortly before his disappearance indicated that he appeared to be ill. He disappeared in the immediate area of

Lake Michigan Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is the second-largest of the Great Lakes by volume () and the third-largest by surface area (), after Lake Superior and Lake Huron. To the east, its basin is conjoined with that o ...

. His hat, sunglasses and umbrella were later found on the lake shore. His body was found six months later on April 24, 1960, in the water one half mile from where he disappeared and was positively identified. The cause of death was determined to be

drowning Drowning is a type of suffocation induced by the submersion of the mouth and nose in a liquid. Most instances of fatal drowning occur alone or in situations where others present are either unaware of the victim's situation or unable to offer a ...

. An inquest on May 2, 1960, indicated his death was under mysterious circumstances and did not rule out either natural death or foul play.

References

Sources

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Parkinson, William Lynn 1902 births 1959 deaths Indiana state court judges Judges of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Indiana United States district court judges appointed by Dwight D. Eisenhower Judges of the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit United States court of appeals judges appointed by Dwight D. Eisenhower 20th-century American judges People from Attica, Indiana United States federal judges admitted to the practice of law by reading law