Thomas Morrow Reavley facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Thomas Morrow Reavley
Reavley in 1985
Senior Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
In office August 1, 1990 – December 1, 2020
Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
In office July 13, 1979 – August 1, 1990
Appointed by	Jimmy Carter
Preceded by	Seat established by 92 Stat. 1629
Succeeded by	Emilio M. Garza
Texas Secretary of State
In office November 1, 1955 – January 16, 1957
Governor	Allan Shivers
Preceded by	Al Muldrow
Succeeded by	Zollie Steakley
Personal details
Born	(1921-06-21)June 21, 1921 Quitman, Texas, U.S.
Died	December 1, 2020(2020-12-01) (aged 99) Houston, Texas, U.S.
Spouse	Carolyn Dineen King
Education	University of Texas at Austin (BA) Harvard Law School (JD) University of Virginia School of Law (LLM)

Thomas Morrow Reavley (born June 21, 1921 – died December 1, 2020) was an important American judge. He served as a federal judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. At the time of his death, he was the oldest serving federal judge.

Early Life and Education

Thomas Reavley was born in Quitman, Texas. He went to the University of Texas and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1942. While there, he was part of the Tejas Club.

Military Service in World War II

From 1942 to 1946, Reavley served in the United States Navy during World War II. He was a naval lieutenant. During this time, he had a very interesting job: he drove President Franklin Roosevelt to a special meeting. This meeting was the Yalta Conference, where Roosevelt met with other world leaders like Winston Churchill and Joseph Stalin.

Law School and Further Studies

After the war, Thomas Reavley continued his education. He earned a law degree (called a Juris Doctor) from Harvard Law School in 1948. Later, in 1983, he earned another advanced law degree (a Master of Laws) from the University of Virginia School of Law.

Career in Law and Government

Thomas Reavley had a long and varied career in law and public service.

Early Legal Roles

• From 1948 to 1949, he worked as an assistant district attorney in Dallas, Texas.
• He then worked as a private lawyer in different Texas cities, including Nacogdoches (1949–1951), Lufkin (1951–1952), and Jasper (1952–1955).
• In 1951, he also served as a county attorney for Nacogdoches County.

Public Service in Texas

Reavley took on important roles in the Texas state government:

• He was the Texas Secretary of State from 1955 to 1957. This job involves managing state records and elections.
• After working as a private lawyer in Austin (1957–1964), he became a judge.
• From 1964 to 1968, he was a Judge of the 167th Judicial District in Austin.
• He then served as a justice on the highest court in Texas, the Supreme Court of Texas, from 1968 to 1977.
• In 1978, he was a Special Judge for the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals.

Federal Judicial Service

In 1979, Thomas Reavley was chosen for a very important national role.

Appointment to the Fifth Circuit

President Jimmy Carter nominated Thomas Reavley to be a judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. This court hears appeals from federal courts in Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi. The United States Senate confirmed his appointment on July 12, 1979, and he officially started his new job on July 13, 1979.

Senior Judge Status

On August 1, 1990, Judge Reavley took on "senior status". This means he continued to work as a judge but with a reduced caseload, allowing him to serve for many more years. He was known for his long service on the federal bench.

Personal Life

Thomas Reavley married fellow Fifth Circuit judge Carolyn Dineen King in August 2004. He passed away on December 1, 2020, at the age of 99.

Sources

• Thomas Morrow Reavley at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a public domain publication of the Federal Judicial Center.
• University of Texas Law Library biography