Kenneth Richard Harkins (September 1, 1921 – October 8, 2009) was a judge of the United States Court of Federal Claims from 1982 to 1986.

Early life, education, and military service

Born in

Cadiz, Ohio Cadiz ( ) is a village in Cadiz Township, Harrison County, Ohio, United States located about 20 miles from Steubenville. The population was 3,353 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Harrison County. History Cadiz was founded in 1803 a ...

, Harkins received a Bachelor of Arts from Ohio State University in 1943, and served in the United States Army during World War II, from 1943 to 1946.Federal Judicial Center page on Kenneth R. Harkins
CFC Bar memorium for Kenneth R. Harkins
. During the war, he served as a forward observer in the Army's 14th Armored Division, with which he participated in the Battle of the Bulge, receiving the

Bronze Star Medal The Bronze Star Medal (BSM) is a United States Armed Forces decoration awarded to members of the United States Armed Forces for either heroic achievement, heroic service, meritorious achievement, or meritorious service in a combat zone. Wh ...

and Purple Heart. He achieved the rank of first lieutenant.

Career

After the war, Harkins received an Bachelor of Laws from

Ohio State University College of Law The Michael E. Moritz College of Law is the professional graduate law school of the Ohio State University, a public land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio. Founded in 1891, the school is located in Drinko Hall on the main campus of the ...

in 1948, and in 1949 became an attorney for the U.S. Housing and Home Finance Agency. From 1951 to 1955 he worked in the United States Department of Justice, as a trial attorney in the Antitrust Division. He was co-counsel to the Antitrust Subcommittee of the

United States House of Representatives Committee on the Judiciary The U.S. House Committee on the Judiciary, also called the House Judiciary Committee, is a standing committee of the United States House of Representatives. It is charged with overseeing the administration of justice within the federal courts, a ...

from 1955 to 1960, under Chairman Emanuel Celler (D-N.Y.), and then left government service to become general counsel to the Stromberg Carlson Division and Electronics Division of

General Dynamics Corp. General Dynamics Corporation (GD) is an American publicly traded, aerospace and defense corporation headquartered in Reston, Virginia. As of 2020, it was the fifth-largest defense contractor in the world by arms sales, and 5th largest in the Un ...

, from 1960 to 1964. He returned to work for the House Antitrust Subcommittee as chief counsel, from 1964 to 1971. In 1967, he also received a J.D. from the Ohio State University College of Law.

Claims court service

Harkins served as a trial judge of the

United States Court of Claims The Court of Claims was a federal court that heard claims against the United States government. It was established in 1855, renamed in 1948 to the United States Court of Claims (), and abolished in 1982. Then, its jurisdiction was assumed by the n ...

from 1971 until October 1, 1982 when he was appointed by statute to a new seat on the United States Claims Court (later United States Court of Federal Claims) authorized by 96 Stat. 27. He assumed senior status on November 30, 1986 and served in that capacity until his death, at the Goodwin House retirement home in Bailey's Crossroads, Virginia.

Personal life

Harkins was married to Helen Dozer Harkins of Arlington for 66 years. They had two children, M. Elaine Harkins of Denver, Colorado and Richard A. Harkins of Vienna, Virginia. At the time of Harkins' death, he was also survived by three granddaughters.

References

External links

*
''Washington Post'' obituary for Kenneth R. Harkins
{{DEFAULTSORT:Harkins, Kenneth 1921 births 2009 deaths 20th-century American judges Judges of the United States Court of Federal Claims Ohio State University alumni Ohio State University Moritz College of Law alumni People from Cadiz, Ohio United States Army officers United States Army personnel of World War II United States Article I federal judges appointed by Richard Nixon 20th-century American lawyers 21st-century American judges