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Frank Murphy

Frank Murphy

Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States · 1939–1940

Frank Murphy , Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. The Senate voted 78–7 on the nomination on Jan 17, 1939 (). William Francis Murphy was an American politician, lawyer, and jurist from Harbor Beach, Michigan. He was a Democrat who was named to the Supreme Court of the United States in 1940 after a political career that included serving as United States Attorney General, 35th governor of Michigan, and Mayor of Detroit.

Senate votes: 1

Positions

Attorney General1939-01-02–1940-01-18
Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States1940-01-18–1949-07-19

Senate confirmation votes

Attorney general of the united states
76th Congress · 78–7 · Jan 17, 1939

Education

University of MichiganA.B., 1912
University of Michigan Law SchoolLL.B., 1914

Career

Private practice, Detroit, Michigan, 1914-1917, 1922-1923; U.S. Army first lieutenant, 1917-1919; Chief assistant U.S. attorney, Eastern District of Michigan, 1919-1922; Candidate for U.S. House of Representatives from Michigan, 1920; Professor of law, University of Detroit, 1922-1927; Judge, Detroit [Michigan] Recorder's Court, 1923-1930; Mayor, Detroit, Michigan, 1930-1933; Governor general, Philippine Islands, 1933-1935; High commissioner, Philippine Islands, 1935-1936; Governor, Michigan, 1937-1938; Attorney General of the United States, 1939-1940

Biography

William Francis Murphy was an American politician, lawyer, and jurist from Harbor Beach, Michigan. He was a Democrat who was named to the Supreme Court of the United States in 1940 after a political career that included serving as United States Attorney General, 35th governor of Michigan, and Mayor of Detroit.

From Wikipedia (CC BY-SA).

From Senate roll call votes, Wikidata, Wikipedia and Office of Government Ethics records.

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Capitol Receipts, “Frank Murphy : Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United…,” https://www.capitolreceipts.com/appointee/j1722/frank-murphy (accessed 2026-10-13).