John Andrew Peters (August 13, 1864 – August 22, 1953) was a

United States representative The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Artic ...

from

Maine Maine ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the United States, and the northeasternmost state in the Contiguous United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Provinces and ...

and a

United States district judge The United States district courts are the trial courts of the U.S. federal judiciary. There is one district court for each federal judicial district. Each district covers one U.S. state or a portion of a state. There is at least one feder ...

of the

United States District Court for the District of Maine The U.S. District Court for the District of Maine (in case citations, D. Me.) is the U.S. district court for the state of Maine. The District of Maine was one of the original thirteen district courts established by the Judiciary Act of ...

Education and career

Born on August 13, 1864, in Ellsworth, Hancock County,

, Peters, a nephew of John A. Peters (1822–1904), attended the common schools. He received an Artium Baccalaureus degree in 1885 from

Bowdoin College Bowdoin College ( ) is a Private college, private liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Brunswick, Maine. It was chartered in 1794. The main Bowdoin campus is located near Casco Bay and the Androscoggin River. In a ...

read law Reading law was the primary 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 un ...

in 1887, and received an

Artium Magister A Master of Arts ( or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA or AM) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Those admitted to the degree have ...

degree in 1888 from Bowdoin College. He entered private practice in Ellsworth from 1887 to 1913. He was a Judge of the Ellsworth Municipal Court from 1896 to 1908. He was a member of the

Maine House of Representatives The Maine House of Representatives is the lower house of the Maine Legislature. The House consists of 151 voting members and three nonvoting members. The voting members represent an equal number of districts across the state and are elected via ...

in 1909, 1911 and 1913, serving as Speaker in 1913. He was a delegate at large to the

Republican National Convention The Republican National Convention (RNC) is a series of presidential nominating conventions held every four years since 1856 by the Republican Party in the United States. They are administered by the Republican National Committee. The goal o ...

in 1916. He served as Vice President of the Board of Trustees of Bowdoin College.

Congressional service

Peters was elected as a Republican to the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Artic ...

of the

63rd United States Congress The 63rd United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1913, t ...

, by special election, to fill the vacancy caused by the death of

United States Representative The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Artic ...

Forrest Goodwin Forrest Goodwin (June 14, 1862 – May 28, 1913) was a United States representative from Maine. He was born in Skowhegan, Maine and attended the common schools, graduated from Skowhegan High School and Bloomfield Academy. He also graduated fr ...

, and reelected to the four succeeding Congresses until his resignation on January 2, 1922, serving from September 9, 1913, to January 2, 1922.

Federal judicial service

Peters was nominated by President

Warren G. Harding Warren Gamaliel Harding (November 2, 1865 – August 2, 1923) was the 29th president of the United States, serving from 1921 until his death in 1923. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he was one of the most ...

on October 25, 1921, to a seat on the

vacated by Judge Clarence Hale. He was confirmed by the

United States Senate The United States Senate is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the upper house, with the United States House of Representatives, U.S. House of Representatives being the lower house. Together, the Senate and ...

on November 14, 1921, and received his commission the same day. He, however, did not take his seat until January 2, 1922 after resigning from the House. He assumed senior status on January 2, 1947. His service terminated on August 1, 1953, due to his retirement.

Death

Peters died on August 22, 1953, in Ellsworth. He was interred in Woodbine Cemetery in Ellsworth.

References

Sources

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Peters, John Andrew 1864 births 1953 deaths Politicians from Ellsworth, Maine Maine state court judges Speakers of the Maine House of Representatives Judges of the United States District Court for the District of Maine Bowdoin College alumni United States district court judges appointed by Warren G. Harding Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Maine 20th-century members of the United States House of Representatives 20th-century members of the Maine Legislature