Eugene E. Siler Jr.
Eugene Edward Siler Jr. (born October 19, 1936) is a Senior United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit and a former United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky and the United States District Court for the Western District of Kentucky.[1]
Early life and education
[edit]Siler was born in Williamsburg, Kentucky, to Lowell (Jones) and Eugene Siler. His father was a United States Congressman, serving as a representative from Kentucky's 8th Congressional District from 1955 to 1963. Following the 8th district's elimination, he represented Kentucky's 5th Congressional District from 1963 to 1965.[2] Previously, his father had also been elected to the Kentucky Court of Appeals and was the Republican nominee for governor in the 1951 Kentucky Gubernatorial election.
Siler received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Vanderbilt University in 1958, a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1963, and a Master of Laws degree from Georgetown University Law Center in 1964.[3]
He joined the United States Navy as a Midshipman in 1957. The next year, he was commissioned as a lieutenant in the United States Naval Reserve, and saw active duty from 1958 to 1960. He would remain in the reserves until his retirement in 1983 at the rank of commander.[3][4]
Career
[edit]Whitley County
[edit]After graduating from Georgetown in 1964, Siler returned to Williamsburg and entered into a private law practice with his father. The next year, he was elected as Whitley County Attorney, a position he would hold until he was commission into federal service in 1970.[3][4]
Federal judicial service
[edit]In 1969, Siler was nominated by President Richard Nixon as United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky. He was confirmed by the United States Senate on December 16, 1969.[5] He received his commission the next year, and served until 1975.[4]
Siler was nominated by President Gerald Ford on September 19, 1975, to a joint seat on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky and the United States District Court for the Western District of Kentucky vacated by Judge Mac Swinford. He was confirmed by the United States Senate on November 11, 1975, and received his commission on November 13, 1975. He served as Chief Judge of the Eastern District from 1984 to 1991. Siler service was terminated on both courts on September 20, 1991, due to his elevation to the Sixth Circuit.[3]
Siler was nominated by President George H. W. Bush on June 19, 1991, to a seat on the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit vacated by Judge Harry Walker Wellford. He was confirmed by the United States Senate on September 12, 1991, and received his commission on September 16, 1991.[3] In 1992, Siler was awarded Outstanding Judge of the Year by the American Bar Association. That same year, he was sent by the U.S. State Department to Lithuania in order to assist their government's judicial reforms. He would also be sent by the U. S. Justice Department to Albania as an advisor on ethics and discipline.[4]
He assumed senior status on December 31, 2001.[3]
In December 2024, a bill introduced by Senator Mitch McConnell and Representative Hal Rogers was passed by congress to name the federal courthouse annex in London, Kentucky, in honor of Siler.[6]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ Judges of the United States. The Committee. 1983. p. 451. Retrieved 15 August 2021.
- ^ Loftus, Tom (December 6, 1987). "Former Kentucky congressman Eugene E. Siler is dead at 87". The Courier-Journal. p. 29. Retrieved June 18, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c d e f Eugene E. Siler Jr. at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a publication of the Federal Judicial Center.
- ^ a b c d McConnell, Mitch (February 11, 2016). "Tribute to Judge Eugene Siler Jr" (PDF). Congressional Record - Senate. Retrieved June 20, 2025.
- ^ "Confirmation" (PDF). Congressional Record - Senate. December 17, 1969. Retrieved June 20, 2025.
- ^ Latek, Tom (2024-12-19). "Congress passes bill to rename London, Ky., courthouse annex for long-serving judge". Kentucky Today. Retrieved 2025-06-20.
Sources
[edit]- Eugene E. Siler Jr. at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a publication of the Federal Judicial Center.
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
- 1936 births
- Georgetown University Law Center alumni
- Judges of the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
- Judges of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky
- Judges of the United States District Court for the Western District of Kentucky
- Kentucky Republicans
- Living people
- People from Whitley County, Kentucky
- United States attorneys for the Eastern District of Kentucky
- United States court of appeals judges appointed by George H. W. Bush
- United States district court judges appointed by Gerald Ford
- United States Navy officers
- University of Virginia School of Law alumni
- Vanderbilt University alumni
- United States Navy reservists
- Kentucky county attorneys