| David Howell | |
| Office: | Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Rhode Island |
| Term Start: | November 17, 1812 |
| Term End: | July 30, 1824 |
| Appointer: | James Madison |
| Predecessor: | David L. Barnes |
| Successor: | John Pitman |
| Office1: | Attorney General of Rhode Island |
| Term1: | 1789 |
| Governor1: | John Collins |
| Predecessor1: | Henry Goodwin |
| Successor1: | Daniel Berkeley Updike |
| Birth Name: | David Howell |
| Birth Date: | 1 January 1747 |
| Birth Place: | Morristown, Province of New Jersey, British America |
| Death Place: | Providence, Rhode Island |
| Resting Place: | North Burial Ground Providence, Rhode Island |
| Children: | Jeremiah B. Howell |
| Education: | Princeton University Brown University (A.M.) |
| Signature: | David Howell signature.svg |
David Howell (January 1, 1747 – July 30, 1824) was a Delegate to the Congress of the Confederation from Rhode Island, an associate justice of the Supreme Court of Rhode Island, Attorney General of Rhode Island and a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of Rhode Island.
Born on January 1, 1747, in Morristown, Morris County, Province of New Jersey, British America, Howell attended Eaton's Academy in Hopewell, Province of New Jersey, then graduated from the College of New Jersey (now Princeton University) in 1766 and received an Artium Magister degree in 1769 from Rhode Island College (now Brown University). He was a Professor of Natural Philosophy at Brown University from 1766 to 1824, also serving as a fellow from 1773 to 1824, as Secretary from 1780 to 1806, and as Acting President from 1791 to 1792. He was in private practice in Providence, Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, British America (State of Rhode Island, United States from July 4, 1776) from 1768 to 1779, and from 1781 to 1782. He was a Justice of the Peace for Providence in 1779. He was a justice of the Rhode Island Court of Common Pleas for Providence County in 1780. He was a Delegate to the Congress of the Confederation (Continental Congress) from 1782 to 1785. He was an associate justice of the Supreme Court of Rhode Island from May 1786 to May 1787.[1] He was Attorney General of Rhode Island in 1789. He was a boundary commissioner for the United States in New York City, New York in 1794.
Among the prospective attorneys who studied law with Howell was Asa Aldis, who later served as chief justice of the Vermont Supreme Court.[2]
Howell was nominated by President James Madison on November 12, 1812, to a seat on the United States District Court for the District of Rhode Island vacated by Judge David L. Barnes. He was confirmed by the United States Senate on November 16, 1812, and received his commission on November 17, 1812. His service terminated on July 30, 1824, due to his death in Providence. He was interred in North Burial Ground in Providence.
Howell was the father of Jeremiah B. Howell, a United States senator from Rhode Island.