History / Courts

U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri

42 judges have served since Mar 3, 1857. Now: Megan Blair Benton RJoshua Michael Divine RRoseann Ambrosia Ketchmark DStephen Rogers Bough DBrian Curtis Wimes DMary Elizabeth Phillips DDavid Gregory Kays R.

Judges
42
23 D · 18 R · 1 N(
Longest tenure
31 years
Albert L. Reeves
Current
8 months
Megan Blair Benton, since Feb 10, 2026
history/court/district-court-for-the-western-district-of-missouriEvery holder, newest first
+42
186018801900192019401960198020002020Robert William Wells · 1857-03-03 – 1864-09-22 · None (reassignment)Arnold Krekel · 1865-03-09 – 1888-06-09 · RepublicanJohn Finis Philips · 1888-06-25 – 1910-06-25 · DemocratAlbert L. Reeves · 1923-06-24 – 1954-02-02 · RepublicanCharles Evans Whittaker · 1954-07-08 – 1956-06-22 · RepublicanRandle Jasper Smith · 1956-07-03 – 1962-01-08 · RepublicanJohn Watkins Oliver · 1962-04-03 – 1980-11-03 · DemocratJoseph Edward Stevens, Jr. · 1981-09-18 – 1995-07-01 · RepublicanOrtrie D. Smith · 1995-08-14 – 2011-04-30 · DemocratMary Elizabeth Phillips · 2012-03-22 – present · DemocratArba Seymour Van Valkenburgh · 1910-06-21 – 1925-03-23 · RepublicanMerrill E. Otis · 1925-12-14 – 1944-12-23 · RepublicanAlbert Alphonso Ridge · 1945-04-07 – 1961-06-30 · DemocratFloyd Robert Gibson · 1961-08-30 – 1965-06-21 · DemocratWilliam Robert Collinson · 1965-08-11 – 1980-08-19 · DemocratJohn R. Gibson · 1981-09-19 – 1982-03-30 · RepublicanRoss Thompson Roberts · 1982-08-20 – 1987-04-24 · RepublicanDean Whipple · 1987-12-09 – 2007-04-30 · RepublicanDavid Gregory Kays · 2008-06-19 – present · RepublicanJohn Caskie Collet · 1937-03-20 – 1947-07-12 · DemocratRoy Winfield Harper · 1947-08-07 – 1948-06-20 · DemocratRoy Winfield Harper · 1949-02-02 – 1971-01-05 · DemocratRussell Gentry Clark · 1977-07-05 – 1991-08-01 · DemocratFernando J. Gaitan, Jr. · 1991-08-02 – 2014-01-03 · RepublicanM. Douglas Harpool · 2014-03-28 – 2026-02-04 · DemocratMegan Blair Benton · 2026-02-10 – present · RepublicanRichard M. Duncan · 1943-07-14 – 1965-05-31 · DemocratElmo Bolton Hunter · 1965-08-11 – 1980-12-31 · DemocratD. Brook Bartlett · 1981-09-19 – 2000-01-21 · RepublicanRichard Everett Dorr · 2002-08-02 – 2013-04-24 · RepublicanStephen Rogers Bough · 2014-12-19 – present · DemocratWilliam Henry Becker · 1961-09-18 – 1977-02-08 · DemocratScott Olin Wright · 1979-09-26 – 1991-10-05 · DemocratGary A. Fenner · 1996-07-25 – 2015-09-08 · DemocratRoseann Ambrosia Ketchmark · 2015-09-14 – present · DemocratHarris Kenneth Wangelin · 1970-12-22 – 1983-05-10 · RepublicanStephen Nathaniel Limbaugh · 1983-07-19 – 1996-05-01 · RepublicanNanette Kay Laughrey · 1996-08-01 – 2011-08-27 · DemocratBrian Curtis Wimes · 2012-04-30 – present · DemocratHoward Frederic Sachs · 1979-09-26 – 1992-10-31 · DemocratRodney W. Sippel · 1997-11-12 – 2023-01-28 · DemocratJoshua Michael Divine · 2025-07-24 – present · Republican
Megan Blair Benton R
Feb 10, 2026 – present · 8 months · appointed by Donald J. Trump · confirmed 51–46
Joshua Michael Divine R
Jul 24, 2025 – present · 15 months · appointed by Donald J. Trump · confirmed 51–46
Roseann Ambrosia Ketchmark D
Sep 14, 2015 – present · 11 years · appointed by Barack Obama · confirmed 96–0
Stephen Rogers Bough D
Dec 19, 2014 – present · 12 years · appointed by Barack Obama · confirmed 51–38
M. Douglas Harpool D
Mar 28, 2014 – Feb 4, 2026 · 12 years · appointed by Barack Obama · senior status Feb 4, 2026 · confirmed 93–5
Brian Curtis Wimes D
Apr 30, 2012 – present · 14 years · appointed by Barack Obama · confirmed 92–1
Mary Elizabeth Phillips D
Mar 22, 2012 – present · 15 years · appointed by Barack Obama · confirmed 95–2
David Gregory Kays R
Jun 19, 2008 – present · 18 years · appointed by George W. Bush
Richard Everett Dorr R
Aug 2, 2002 – Apr 24, 2013 · 11 years · appointed by George W. Bush
Rodney W. Sippel D
Nov 12, 1997 – Jan 28, 2023 · 25 years · appointed by William J. Clinton · senior status Jan 28, 2023
Nanette Kay Laughrey D
Aug 1, 1996 – Aug 27, 2011 · 15 years · appointed by William J. Clinton · senior status Aug 27, 2011
Gary A. Fenner D
Jul 25, 1996 – Sep 8, 2015 · 19 years · appointed by William J. Clinton · senior status Sep 8, 2015
Ortrie D. Smith D
Aug 14, 1995 – Apr 30, 2011 · 16 years · appointed by William J. Clinton · senior status Apr 30, 2011
Fernando J. Gaitan, Jr. R
Aug 2, 1991 – Jan 3, 2014 · 22 years · appointed by George H.W. Bush · senior status Jan 3, 2014
Dean Whipple R
Dec 9, 1987 – Apr 30, 2007 · 19 years · appointed by Ronald Reagan · senior status Apr 30, 2007
Stephen Nathaniel Limbaugh R
Jul 19, 1983 – May 1, 1996 · 13 years · appointed by Ronald Reagan · senior status May 1, 1996
Ross Thompson Roberts R
Aug 20, 1982 – Apr 24, 1987 · 4.7 years · appointed by Ronald Reagan
John R. Gibson R
Sep 19, 1981 – Mar 30, 1982 · 6 months · appointed by Ronald Reagan
D. Brook Bartlett R
Sep 19, 1981 – Jan 21, 2000 · 18 years · appointed by Ronald Reagan
Joseph Edward Stevens, Jr. R
Sep 18, 1981 – Jul 1, 1995 · 14 years · appointed by Ronald Reagan · senior status Jul 1, 1995
Scott Olin Wright D
Sep 26, 1979 – Oct 5, 1991 · 12 years · appointed by Jimmy Carter · senior status Oct 5, 1991
Howard Frederic Sachs D
Sep 26, 1979 – Oct 31, 1992 · 13 years · appointed by Jimmy Carter · senior status Oct 31, 1992
Russell Gentry Clark D
Jul 5, 1977 – Aug 1, 1991 · 14 years · appointed by Jimmy Carter · senior status Aug 1, 1991
Harris Kenneth Wangelin R
Dec 22, 1970 – May 10, 1983 · 12 years · appointed by Richard M. Nixon · senior status May 10, 1983
William Robert Collinson D
Aug 11, 1965 – Aug 19, 1980 · 15 years · appointed by Lyndon B. Johnson · senior status Aug 19, 1980
Elmo Bolton Hunter D
Aug 11, 1965 – Dec 31, 1980 · 15 years · appointed by Lyndon B. Johnson · senior status Dec 31, 1980
John Watkins Oliver D
Apr 3, 1962 – Nov 3, 1980 · 19 years · appointed by John F. Kennedy · senior status Nov 3, 1980
William Henry Becker D
Sep 18, 1961 – Feb 8, 1977 · 15 years · appointed by John F. Kennedy · senior status Feb 8, 1977
Floyd Robert Gibson D
Aug 30, 1961 – Jun 21, 1965 · 3.8 years · appointed by John F. Kennedy
Randle Jasper Smith R
Jul 3, 1956 – Jan 8, 1962 · 5.5 years · appointed by Dwight D. Eisenhower
Charles Evans Whittaker R
Jul 8, 1954 – Jun 22, 1956 · 23 months · appointed by Dwight D. Eisenhower
Roy Winfield Harper D
Feb 2, 1949 – Jan 5, 1971 · 22 years · appointed by Harry S Truman · senior status Jan 5, 1971
Roy Winfield Harper D
Aug 7, 1947 – Jun 20, 1948 · 10 months · appointed by Harry S Truman
Albert Alphonso Ridge D
Apr 7, 1945 – Jun 30, 1961 · 16 years · appointed by Franklin D. Roosevelt
Richard M. Duncan D
Jul 14, 1943 – May 31, 1965 · 22 years · appointed by Franklin D. Roosevelt · senior status May 31, 1965
John Caskie Collet D
Mar 20, 1937 – Jul 12, 1947 · 10 years · appointed by Franklin D. Roosevelt
Merrill E. Otis R
Dec 14, 1925 – Dec 23, 1944 · 19 years · appointed by Calvin Coolidge
Albert L. Reeves R
Jun 24, 1923 – Feb 2, 1954 · 31 years · appointed by Warren G. Harding · senior status Feb 2, 1954
Arba Seymour Van Valkenburgh R
Jun 21, 1910 – Mar 23, 1925 · 15 years · appointed by William H. Taft
John Finis Philips D
Jun 25, 1888 – Jun 25, 1910 · 22 years · appointed by Grover Cleveland
Arnold Krekel R
Mar 9, 1865 – Jun 9, 1888 · 23 years · appointed by Abraham Lincoln
Robert William Wells N(
Mar 3, 1857 – Sep 22, 1864 · 7.6 years · appointed by None (reassignment)

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