Isidore newman school

5th district court
John Minor Wisdom, one of the "Fifth Circuit Four", and a Republican from Louisiana, was a United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit during the 1950s and.
In this revealing biography, law professor Joel William Friedman explores Judge Wisdom's substantial legal contributions and political work at a critical time.

•

John Minor Wisdom
Doctor of Laws 1994
Status: conferred

After earning a law degree from Tulane University in 1929, John Minor Wisdom practiced law in New Orleans until appointment in 1957 to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. He is a respected jurist whose opinions have helped define civil rights law across the country. His contributions include a number of significant decisions, including suspending a state voters' registration law; desegregating the University of Mississippi; ordering affirmative action to desegregate public schools; desegregating bus and railroad terminals; and prohibiting the awarding of jobs based on seniority systems with built-in race discrimination. The Supreme Court upheld his dissenting opinion in Dombrowski v. Pfister (1965), enjoining the state of Louisiana from using its powers to harass civil rights leaders through unwarranted prosecution. Throughout his career on the federal bench as well as teaching courses in law at Tulane and other universities, Judge Wisdom has educated and encouraged a gene

•

Champion of Civil Rights: Judge John Minor Wisdom (Southern Biography Series) - Softcover

From the Back Cover

"Joel William Friedman's biography of federal judge John Minor Wisdom (1905--1999) fills an important gap in civil rights historiography." -- Journal of Southern History

"Champion of Civil Rights... is required reading for anyone interested in the legal and cultural history of the South during the last fifty years of the twentieth century." -- Georgia Historical Quarterly

One of the least publicly recognized heroes of the civil rights movement in the United States, John Minor Wisdom served as a member of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit from 1957 until his death in 1999. During his time on the bench, he wrote many of the landmark decisions instrumental in desegregating the American South. In this revealing biography, law professor Joel William Friedman explores the substantial legal and political contributions Judge Wisdom made during a critical period in the history of the South.

The Fifth Circuit, which included some of the most deeply segregated sout

•

John Minor Wisdom

This article is about the U.S. court of appeals judge. For the philosopher, see John Wisdom.

American judge (1905–1999)

John Minor Wisdom

In office January 15, 1977 – May 15, 1999
In office June 27, 1957 – January 15, 1977
Appointed by	Dwight D. Eisenhower
Preceded by	Wayne G. Borah
Succeeded by	Alvin Benjamin Rubin
Born	John Minor Wisdom (1905-05-17)May 17, 1905 New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.
Died	May 15, 1999(1999-05-15) (aged 93) New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Education	Washington and Lee University (BA) Tulane University (LLB)

John Minor Wisdom (May 17, 1905 – May 15, 1999), one of the "Fifth Circuit Four", and a Republican from Louisiana, was a United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit during the 1950s and 1960s, when that court became known for a series of crucial decisions that advanced the goals of the Civil Rights Movement. At that time, the Fifth Circuit included not only Louisiana, Mississippi, an