William Augustus Bootle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Gus Bootle
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| Senior Judge of the United States District Court for the Middle District of Georgia | |
| In office March 11, 1972 – January 25, 2005 |
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| Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Middle District of Georgia | |
| In office 1961–1972 |
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| Preceded by | Thomas Hoyt Davis |
| Succeeded by | J. Robert Elliott |
| Judge of the United States District Court for the Middle District of Georgia | |
| In office May 20, 1954 – March 11, 1972 |
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| Appointed by | Dwight D. Eisenhower |
| Preceded by | Abraham Benjamin Conger |
| Succeeded by | Wilbur Dawson Owens Jr. |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
William Augustus Bootle
August 19, 1902 Walterboro, South Carolina, U.S. |
| Died | January 25, 2005 (aged 102) Macon, Georgia, U.S. |
| Education | Mercer University (BA, LLB) |
William Augustus Bootle (born August 19, 1902 – died January 25, 2005) was an American lawyer and a judge for the United States federal court. He worked as a United States district judge in the Middle District of Georgia. He is remembered for helping to end segregation in the Southern United States. Segregation was a system that kept people of different races separate.
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Early Life and Education
William Bootle was born on August 19, 1902, in Walterboro, South Carolina. He went to Mercer University, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1924. The next year, in 1925, he received his law degree from Mercer University's law school.
After finishing his studies, Bootle worked as a private lawyer in Macon, Georgia. He practiced law from 1925 to 1928, and again from 1933 to 1954. He also taught at Mercer University part-time from 1926 to 1937. For a few years, from 1933 to 1937, he was even the acting dean of the university.
Becoming a Federal Judge
In 1954, President Dwight D. Eisenhower chose William Bootle to become a judge. He was nominated on May 3, 1954, for a seat on the United States District Court for the Middle District of Georgia. The United States Senate approved his nomination on May 18, 1954. He officially became a judge on May 20, 1954.
Judge Bootle served as the Chief Judge of the court from 1961 to 1972. This meant he was the main judge in charge of that court. On March 11, 1972, he took on "senior status." This is a special role for experienced judges who still work but have a lighter workload. He continued to serve until he passed away on January 25, 2005, in Macon, Georgia.
A Key Decision for Equality
One of Judge Bootle's most important decisions happened in 1961. He ordered that the first African-American students be allowed to attend the University of Georgia. This was a very important step in ending segregation in schools. The students he admitted were Hamilton E. Holmes and Charlayne Hunter. This decision helped change the future for many students.
Later Years and Legacy
Judge Bootle's wife of over 70 years, Virginia Childs Bootle, passed away in 2004. William Bootle himself died at his home in 2005, at the age of 102.
In his honor, the federal building and courthouse in Macon, Georgia, was renamed the William Augustus Bootle Federal Building and United States Courthouse in June 1998. This shows how much his work was valued. In 1982, Mercer University also gave him an honorary Doctor of Laws degree, recognizing his long and important career.
See also
- List of centenarians (jurists and practitioners of law)
- List of United States federal judges by longevity of service
