History / Courts

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit

82 judges have served since Jun 16, 1891. Now: Benjamin Michael Flowers RWhitney Downs Hermandorfer RKevin Gafford Ritz DRachel Sarah Bloomekatz DAndre Bernard Mathis DStephanie Dawkins Davis DEric Earl Murphy RChad Andrew Readler RJohn Baylor Nalbandian RJoan Louise Larsen RJohn Kenneth Bush RAmul Roger Thapar RRaymond M. Kethledge RRichard Allen Griffin REric L. Clay DKaren Nelson Moore D.

Judges
82
49 R · 31 D · 1 N( · 1 N(
Longest tenure
34 years
Boyce Ficklen Martin, Jr.
Current
13 days
Benjamin Michael Flowers, since Oct 2, 2026
history/court/court-of-appeals-for-the-sixth-circuitEvery holder, newest first
+82
1900192019401960198020002020Howell Edmunds Jackson · 1891-06-16 – 1893-03-04 · None (assignment)Horace Harmon Lurton · 1893-03-27 – 1909-12-20 · DemocratLoyal Edwin Knappen · 1910-01-31 – 1924-04-15 · RepublicanCharles Harwood Moorman · 1925-01-13 – 1938-01-26 · RepublicanElwood Hamilton · 1938-03-04 – 1945-09-19 · DemocratShackelford Miller, Jr. · 1945-12-11 – 1965-11-01 · DemocratJohn Weld Peck, II · 1966-07-22 – 1978-07-01 · DemocratBailey Brown · 1979-09-26 – 1982-06-16 · DemocratHarry Walker Wellford · 1982-08-20 – 1991-01-15 · RepublicanEugene Edward Siler, Jr. · 1991-09-16 – 2001-12-31 · RepublicanJulia Smith Gibbons · 2002-07-31 – 2024-09-17 · RepublicanKevin Gafford Ritz · 2024-09-19 – present · DemocratWilliam Howard Taft · 1892-03-17 – 1900-03-15 · RepublicanJohn Kelvey Richards · 1903-02-23 – 1909-03-01 · RepublicanJohn Wesley Warrington · 1909-03-16 – 1919-10-06 · RepublicanMaurice H. Donahue · 1919-10-29 – 1928-09-10 · DemocratSmith Hickenlooper · 1928-12-17 – 1933-12-22 · RepublicanFlorence Ellinwood Allen · 1934-03-21 – 1959-10-05 · DemocratClifford Patrick O'Sullivan · 1960-03-12 – 1969-09-27 · RepublicanHenry Luesing Brooks · 1969-12-11 – 1971-12-30 · RepublicanPierce Lively · 1972-10-05 – 1989-01-01 · RepublicanRichard Fred Suhrheinrich · 1990-07-10 – 2001-08-15 · RepublicanJohn M. Rogers · 2002-11-26 – 2018-05-15 · RepublicanJohn Baylor Nalbandian · 2018-05-17 – present · RepublicanWilliam Rufus Day · 1899-02-28 – 1903-02-23 · RepublicanArthur Carter Denison · 1911-03-02 – 1931-12-31 · RepublicanCharles Casper Simons · 1932-01-29 – 1959-09-15 · RepublicanHarry Phillips · 1963-07-03 – 1979-01-15 · DemocratCornelia Groefsema Kennedy · 1979-09-26 – 1999-03-01 · DemocratJeffrey S. Sutton · 2003-05-05 – 2026-10-01 · RepublicanBenjamin Michael Flowers · 2026-10-02 – present · RepublicanHenry Franklin Severens · 1900-02-20 – 1911-10-03 · RepublicanXenophon Hicks · 1928-05-23 – 1952-03-01 · RepublicanPotter Stewart · 1954-04-27 – 1958-10-13 · RepublicanLester LeFevre Cecil · 1959-07-18 – 1965-08-01 · RepublicanAnthony Joseph Celebrezze · 1965-08-19 – 1980-10-01 · DemocratLeroy John Contie, Jr. · 1982-03-09 – 1986-06-30 · RepublicanAlan Eugene Norris · 1986-07-01 – 2001-07-01 · RepublicanDeborah L. Cook · 2003-05-07 – 2019-03-06 · RepublicanChad Andrew Readler · 2019-03-07 – present · RepublicanJulian William Mack · 1929-07-01 – 1930-06-30 · None (reassignment)Herschel Whitfield Arant · 1939-03-04 – 1941-01-14 · DemocratThomas Francis McAllister · 1941-05-22 – 1963-01-01 · DemocratGeorge Clifton Edwards, Jr. · 1963-12-19 – 1985-01-15 · DemocratRalph B. Guy, Jr. · 1985-10-17 – 1994-09-01 · RepublicanKaren Nelson Moore · 1995-03-24 – present · DemocratJohn Donelson Martin, Sr. · 1940-09-04 – 1962-04-02 · DemocratWade Hampton McCree, Jr. · 1966-09-07 – 1977-03-28 · DemocratDamon Jerome Keith · 1977-10-21 – 1995-05-01 · DemocratRansey Guy Cole, Jr. · 1995-12-26 – 2023-01-09 · DemocratRachel Sarah Bloomekatz · 2023-07-20 – present · DemocratPaul Charles Weick · 1959-09-10 – 1981-12-31 · RepublicanRobert B. Krupansky · 1982-03-10 – 1991-07-01 · RepublicanAlice Moore Batchelder · 1991-12-02 – 2019-03-07 · RepublicanEric Earl Murphy · 2019-03-11 – present · RepublicanBertram Thomas Combs · 1967-04-05 – 1970-06-05 · DemocratWilliam Ernest Miller · 1970-07-08 – 1976-04-12 · RepublicanGilbert Stroud Merritt, Jr. · 1977-10-31 – 2001-01-17 · DemocratRichard Allen Griffin · 2005-06-10 – present · RepublicanW. Wallace Kent · 1970-12-18 – 1973-05-28 · RepublicanAlbert Joseph Engel · 1973-12-19 – 1989-10-01 · RepublicanMartha Craig Daughtrey · 1993-11-22 – 2009-01-01 · DemocratJane Branstetter Stranch · 2010-09-15 – 2025-07-14 · DemocratWhitney Downs Hermandorfer · 2025-07-17 – present · RepublicanBoyce Ficklen Martin, Jr. · 1979-09-26 – 2013-08-16 · DemocratAmul Roger Thapar · 2017-05-25 – present · RepublicanNathaniel Raphael Jones · 1979-10-05 – 1995-05-13 · DemocratEric L. Clay · 1997-08-01 – present · DemocratHerbert Theodore Milburn · 1984-10-04 – 1996-07-01 · RepublicanRonald Lee Gilman · 1997-11-07 – 2010-11-21 · DemocratBernice Bouie Donald · 2011-09-08 – 2022-09-27 · DemocratAndre Bernard Mathis · 2022-09-27 – present · DemocratDavid Aldrich Nelson · 1985-10-17 – 1999-10-01 · RepublicanDavid William McKeague · 2005-06-10 – 2017-11-01 · RepublicanJoan Louise Larsen · 2017-11-02 – present · RepublicanJames Leo Ryan · 1985-10-17 – 2000-01-01 · RepublicanSusan Bieke Neilson · 2005-11-09 – 2006-01-25 · RepublicanRaymond M. Kethledge · 2008-07-07 – present · RepublicanDanny Julian Boggs · 1986-03-25 – 2017-02-28 · RepublicanJohn Kenneth Bush · 2017-07-21 – present · RepublicanHelene N. White · 2008-08-08 – 2022-06-13 · RepublicanStephanie Dawkins Davis · 2022-06-14 – present · Democrat
Benjamin Michael Flowers R
Oct 2, 2026 – present · 13 days · appointed by Donald J. Trump · confirmed 49–46
Whitney Downs Hermandorfer R
Jul 17, 2025 – present · 15 months · appointed by Donald J. Trump · confirmed 46–42
Kevin Gafford Ritz D
Sep 19, 2024 – present · 2.1 years · appointed by Joseph R. Biden · confirmed 48–46
Rachel Sarah Bloomekatz D
Jul 20, 2023 – present · 3.2 years · appointed by Joseph R. Biden · confirmed 50–48
Andre Bernard Mathis D
Sep 27, 2022 – present · 4 years · appointed by Joseph R. Biden · confirmed 48–47
Stephanie Dawkins Davis D
Jun 14, 2022 – present · 4.3 years · appointed by Joseph R. Biden · confirmed 49–43
Eric Earl Murphy R
Mar 11, 2019 – present · 7.6 years · appointed by Donald J. Trump · confirmed 52–46
Chad Andrew Readler R
Mar 7, 2019 – present · 7.6 years · appointed by Donald J. Trump · confirmed 52–47
John Baylor Nalbandian R
May 17, 2018 – present · 8.4 years · appointed by Donald J. Trump · confirmed 53–45
Joan Louise Larsen R
Nov 2, 2017 – present · 9 years · appointed by Donald J. Trump · confirmed 60–38
John Kenneth Bush R
Jul 21, 2017 – present · 9.2 years · appointed by Donald J. Trump · confirmed 51–47
Amul Roger Thapar R
May 25, 2017 – present · 9.4 years · appointed by Donald J. Trump · confirmed 52–44
Bernice Bouie Donald D
Sep 8, 2011 – Sep 27, 2022 · 11 years · appointed by Barack Obama · senior status Sep 27, 2022 · confirmed 96–2
Jane Branstetter Stranch D
Sep 15, 2010 – Jul 14, 2025 · 15 years · appointed by Barack Obama · senior status Jul 14, 2025 · confirmed 71–21
Helene N. White R
Aug 8, 2008 – Jun 13, 2022 · 14 years · appointed by George W. Bush · senior status Jun 13, 2022 · confirmed 63–32
Raymond M. Kethledge R
Jul 7, 2008 – present · 18 years · appointed by George W. Bush
Susan Bieke Neilson R
Nov 9, 2005 – Jan 25, 2006 · 3 months · appointed by George W. Bush · confirmed 97–0
Richard Allen Griffin R
Jun 10, 2005 – present · 21 years · appointed by George W. Bush · confirmed 95–0
David William McKeague R
Jun 10, 2005 – Nov 1, 2017 · 12 years · appointed by George W. Bush · senior status Nov 1, 2017 · confirmed 96–0
Deborah L. Cook R
May 7, 2003 – Mar 6, 2019 · 16 years · appointed by George W. Bush · senior status Mar 6, 2019 · confirmed 66–25
Jeffrey S. Sutton R
May 5, 2003 – Oct 1, 2026 · 23 years · appointed by George W. Bush · senior status Oct 1, 2026 · confirmed 52–41
John M. Rogers R
Nov 26, 2002 – May 15, 2018 · 15 years · appointed by George W. Bush · senior status May 15, 2018
Julia Smith Gibbons R
Jul 31, 2002 – Sep 17, 2024 · 22 years · appointed by George W. Bush · senior status Sep 17, 2024 · confirmed 95–0
Ronald Lee Gilman D
Nov 7, 1997 – Nov 21, 2010 · 13 years · appointed by William J. Clinton · senior status Nov 21, 2010 · confirmed 98–1
Eric L. Clay D
Aug 1, 1997 – present · 29 years · appointed by William J. Clinton
Ransey Guy Cole, Jr. D
Dec 26, 1995 – Jan 9, 2023 · 27 years · appointed by William J. Clinton · senior status Jan 9, 2023
Karen Nelson Moore D
Mar 24, 1995 – present · 32 years · appointed by William J. Clinton
Martha Craig Daughtrey D
Nov 22, 1993 – Jan 1, 2009 · 15 years · appointed by William J. Clinton · senior status Jan 1, 2009
Alice Moore Batchelder R
Dec 2, 1991 – Mar 7, 2019 · 27 years · appointed by George H.W. Bush · senior status Mar 7, 2019
Eugene Edward Siler, Jr. R
Sep 16, 1991 – Dec 31, 2001 · 10 years · appointed by George H.W. Bush · senior status Dec 31, 2001
Richard Fred Suhrheinrich R
Jul 10, 1990 – Aug 15, 2001 · 11 years · appointed by George H.W. Bush · senior status Aug 15, 2001
Alan Eugene Norris R
Jul 1, 1986 – Jul 1, 2001 · 15 years · appointed by Ronald Reagan · senior status Jul 1, 2001
Danny Julian Boggs R
Mar 25, 1986 – Feb 28, 2017 · 31 years · appointed by Ronald Reagan · senior status Feb 28, 2017
Ralph B. Guy, Jr. R
Oct 17, 1985 – Sep 1, 1994 · 8.9 years · appointed by Ronald Reagan · senior status Sep 1, 1994
David Aldrich Nelson R
Oct 17, 1985 – Oct 1, 1999 · 14 years · appointed by Ronald Reagan · senior status Oct 1, 1999
James Leo Ryan R
Oct 17, 1985 – Jan 1, 2000 · 14 years · appointed by Ronald Reagan · senior status Jan 1, 2000
Herbert Theodore Milburn R
Oct 4, 1984 – Jul 1, 1996 · 12 years · appointed by Ronald Reagan · senior status Jul 1, 1996
Harry Walker Wellford R
Aug 20, 1982 – Jan 15, 1991 · 8.4 years · appointed by Ronald Reagan · senior status Jan 15, 1991
Robert B. Krupansky R
Mar 10, 1982 – Jul 1, 1991 · 9.3 years · appointed by Ronald Reagan · senior status Jul 1, 1991
Leroy John Contie, Jr. R
Mar 9, 1982 – Jun 30, 1986 · 4.3 years · appointed by Ronald Reagan · senior status Jun 30, 1986
Nathaniel Raphael Jones D
Oct 5, 1979 – May 13, 1995 · 16 years · appointed by Jimmy Carter · senior status May 13, 1995
Bailey Brown D
Sep 26, 1979 – Jun 16, 1982 · 2.7 years · appointed by Jimmy Carter · senior status Jun 16, 1982 · confirmed 83–12
Cornelia Groefsema Kennedy D
Sep 26, 1979 – Mar 1, 1999 · 19 years · appointed by Jimmy Carter · senior status Mar 1, 1999
Boyce Ficklen Martin, Jr. D
Sep 26, 1979 – Aug 16, 2013 · 34 years · appointed by Jimmy Carter
Gilbert Stroud Merritt, Jr. D
Oct 31, 1977 – Jan 17, 2001 · 23 years · appointed by Jimmy Carter · senior status Jan 17, 2001
Damon Jerome Keith D
Oct 21, 1977 – May 1, 1995 · 18 years · appointed by Jimmy Carter · senior status May 1, 1995
Albert Joseph Engel R
Dec 19, 1973 – Oct 1, 1989 · 16 years · appointed by Richard M. Nixon · senior status Oct 1, 1989
Pierce Lively R
Oct 5, 1972 – Jan 1, 1989 · 16 years · appointed by Richard M. Nixon · senior status Jan 1, 1989
W. Wallace Kent R
Dec 18, 1970 – May 28, 1973 · 2.4 years · appointed by Richard M. Nixon
William Ernest Miller R
Jul 8, 1970 – Apr 12, 1976 · 5.8 years · appointed by Richard M. Nixon
Henry Luesing Brooks R
Dec 11, 1969 – Dec 30, 1971 · 2.1 years · appointed by Richard M. Nixon
Bertram Thomas Combs D
Apr 5, 1967 – Jun 5, 1970 · 3.2 years · appointed by Lyndon B. Johnson
Wade Hampton McCree, Jr. D
Sep 7, 1966 – Mar 28, 1977 · 11 years · appointed by Lyndon B. Johnson
John Weld Peck, II D
Jul 22, 1966 – Jul 1, 1978 · 12 years · appointed by Lyndon B. Johnson · senior status Jul 1, 1978
Anthony Joseph Celebrezze D
Aug 19, 1965 – Oct 1, 1980 · 15 years · appointed by Lyndon B. Johnson · senior status Oct 1, 1980
George Clifton Edwards, Jr. D
Dec 19, 1963 – Jan 15, 1985 · 21 years · appointed by John F. Kennedy · senior status Jan 15, 1985
Harry Phillips D
Jul 3, 1963 – Jan 15, 1979 · 16 years · appointed by John F. Kennedy · senior status Jan 15, 1979
Clifford Patrick O'Sullivan R
Mar 12, 1960 – Sep 27, 1969 · 9.5 years · appointed by Dwight D. Eisenhower · senior status Sep 27, 1969
Paul Charles Weick R
Sep 10, 1959 – Dec 31, 1981 · 22 years · appointed by Dwight D. Eisenhower · senior status Dec 31, 1981
Lester LeFevre Cecil R
Jul 18, 1959 – Aug 1, 1965 · 6 years · appointed by Dwight D. Eisenhower · senior status Aug 1, 1965
Potter Stewart R
Apr 27, 1954 – Oct 13, 1958 · 4.5 years · appointed by Dwight D. Eisenhower
Shackelford Miller, Jr. D
Dec 11, 1945 – Nov 1, 1965 · 20 years · appointed by Harry S Truman · senior status Nov 1, 1965
Thomas Francis McAllister D
May 22, 1941 – Jan 1, 1963 · 22 years · appointed by Franklin D. Roosevelt · senior status Jan 1, 1963
John Donelson Martin, Sr. D
Sep 4, 1940 – Apr 2, 1962 · 22 years · appointed by Franklin D. Roosevelt
Herschel Whitfield Arant D
Mar 4, 1939 – Jan 14, 1941 · 22 months · appointed by Franklin D. Roosevelt
Elwood Hamilton D
Mar 4, 1938 – Sep 19, 1945 · 7.5 years · appointed by Franklin D. Roosevelt
Florence Ellinwood Allen D
Mar 21, 1934 – Oct 5, 1959 · 26 years · appointed by Franklin D. Roosevelt · senior status Oct 5, 1959
Charles Casper Simons R
Jan 29, 1932 – Sep 15, 1959 · 28 years · appointed by Herbert Hoover · senior status Sep 15, 1959
Julian William Mack N(
Jul 1, 1929 – Jun 30, 1930 · 12 months · appointed by None (reassignment)
Smith Hickenlooper R
Dec 17, 1928 – Dec 22, 1933 · 5 years · appointed by Calvin Coolidge
Xenophon Hicks R
May 23, 1928 – Mar 1, 1952 · 24 years · appointed by Calvin Coolidge · senior status Mar 1, 1952
Charles Harwood Moorman R
Jan 13, 1925 – Jan 26, 1938 · 13 years · appointed by Calvin Coolidge
Maurice H. Donahue D
Oct 29, 1919 – Sep 10, 1928 · 8.9 years · appointed by Woodrow Wilson
Arthur Carter Denison R
Mar 2, 1911 – Dec 31, 1931 · 21 years · appointed by William H. Taft
Loyal Edwin Knappen R
Jan 31, 1910 – Apr 15, 1924 · 14 years · appointed by William H. Taft · senior status Apr 15, 1924
John Wesley Warrington R
Mar 16, 1909 – Oct 6, 1919 · 11 years · appointed by William H. Taft · senior status Oct 6, 1919
John Kelvey Richards R
Feb 23, 1903 – Mar 1, 1909 · 6 years · appointed by Theodore Roosevelt
Henry Franklin Severens R
Feb 20, 1900 – Oct 3, 1911 · 12 years · appointed by William McKinley
William Rufus Day R
Feb 28, 1899 – Feb 23, 1903 · 4 years · appointed by William McKinley
Horace Harmon Lurton D
Mar 27, 1893 – Dec 20, 1909 · 17 years · appointed by Grover Cleveland
William Howard Taft R
Mar 17, 1892 – Mar 15, 1900 · 8 years · appointed by Benjamin Harrison
Howell Edmunds Jackson N(
Jun 16, 1891 – Mar 4, 1893 · 21 months · appointed by None (assignment)

Dates are from the Federal Judicial Center (commission to senior status or departure). Consecutive terms of one person are merged.