George Albert Carpenter Explained

George Albert Carpenter
Office:Judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
Term Start:January 11, 1910
Term End:June 30, 1933
Appointer:William Howard Taft
Predecessor:Solomon H. Bethea
Successor:William Harrison Holly
Birth Name:George Albert Carpenter
Birth Date:2 October 1867
Birth Place:Chicago, Illinois
Death Place:Chicago, Illinois
Education:Harvard University (B.A.)
Harvard Law School (LL.B.)

George Albert Carpenter (October 2, 1867 – September 13, 1944) was a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.

Education and career

Born in Chicago, Illinois, Carpenter received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Harvard University in 1888 and a Bachelor of Laws from Harvard Law School in 1891. He was in private practice in Chicago from 1891 to 1905. In 1906, he became a Judge of the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois, serving until 1910.

Federal judicial service

Carpenter was nominated by President William Howard Taft on December 13, 1909, to a seat on the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois vacated by Judge Solomon H. Bethea. He was confirmed by the United States Senate on January 11, 1910, and received his commission the same day. His service terminated on June 30, 1933, due to his resignation.

Notable case

Carpenter presided over the trial of Jack Johnson under the Mann Act and passed sentence.[1]

Later career and death

Following his resignation from the federal bench, Carpenter returned to private practice in Chicago from 1933 to 1944. He died on September 13, 1944, Chicago.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Knockout: Failing to Defeat Him in the Ring, His Enemies take to the Courts . Unforgivable Blackness . PBS.org . 17 December 2012.