William Henry Hastie, Jr. was born in Knoxville, Tennessee back in 1904 to William Sr., and Roberta. After graduating from high school, he attended Amherst College in Massachusetts, graduating first in class. In 1930, he received his Bachelor of Laws from Harvard Law School, followed by a Doctor of Juridical Science in 1933.
From 1933-1937 he served as assistant solicitor for the United States Department of the Interior. In 1937, President Franklin D. Roosevelt appointed him to the District Court of the Virgin Islands. He resigned in 1939, taking the position of Dean of the Howard University School of Law. In 1949, he was appointed to the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. He died on April 14, 1976 while playing golf.
What you may not know about William Jr., is that he had a lot of firsts. He was the first African-American federal judge, the first African-American Territorial Governor of the Virgin Islands and the first African-American federal appellate judge. The Third Circuit Library in Philadelphia is named in his honor. You may also like to know one of his students that would go on to bigger and better things was Thurgood Marshall.
Your day is worthwhile when you make someone smile, so give the free gift of a smile today
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