Dale Emerson Saffels was a United States federal judge

United States federal judge

In the United States, the title of federal judge usually means a judge appointed by the President of the United States and confirmed by the United States Senate in accordance with Article II of the United States Constitution....

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Born in Moline, Kansas

Moline, Kansas

Moline is a city in Elk County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 371.-Geography:Moline is located at . According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land....

, Saffels was a Major in the United States Army

United States Army

The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...

 Signal Corps during World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

, from 1942 to 1946. He then received a B.A.

Bachelor of Arts

A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...

 from Emporia State University

Emporia State University

Emporia State University is a university in the city of Emporia in Lyon County, Kansas, just east of the Flint Hills.- History :...

 in 1947 and a J.D.

Juris Doctor

Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...

 from Washburn University School of Law

Washburn University School of Law

The Washburn University School of Law, commonly referred to as Washburn Law, is a public law school located on the main campus of Washburn University in Topeka, Kansas. Washburn Law was founded in 1903. The school has 79 faculty members and 445 students...

 in 1949. He was in private practice in Garden City, Kansas

Garden City, Kansas

Garden City is a city in and the county seat of Finney County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 26,658. The city is home to Garden City Community College and the Lee Richardson Zoo, the largest zoological park in western Kansas.-History:In February 1878, James...

 from 1949 to 1979. During that time, he was a county attorney for Finney County, Kansas

Finney County, Kansas

Finney County is a county located in Southwest Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the county population was 36,776. Its county seat and most populous city is Garden City...

 from 1951 to 1955. He was a member of the Kansas House of Representatives

Kansas House of Representatives

The Kansas House of Representatives is the lower house of the Kansas Legislature, the legislative body of the U.S. State of Kansas. Composed of 125 state representatives from districts with roughly equal populations of at least 19,000, its members are responsible for crafting and voting on...

 from 1955 to 1963, and was minority leader from 1961 to 1963. He served on the Kansas Corporation Commission

Kansas Corporation Commission

The Kansas Corporation Commission is the public utilities commission of the state of Kansas run by three Commissioners appointed by the Governor with the approval of the Senate...

 from 1967 to 1975, chairing that body from 1968 to 1975. He also maintained a private practice in Topeka, Kansas

Topeka, Kansas

Topeka |Kansa]]: Tó Pee Kuh) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Kansas and the county seat of Shawnee County. It is situated along the Kansas River in the central part of Shawnee County, located in northeast Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was...

 from 1971 to 1975, and in Wichita, Kansas

Wichita, Kansas

Wichita is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kansas.As of the 2010 census, the city population was 382,368. Located in south-central Kansas on the Arkansas River, Wichita is the county seat of Sedgwick County and the principal city of the Wichita metropolitan area...

 from 1975 to 1979.

On September 28, 1979, Saffels was nominated by President Jimmy Carter

Jimmy Carter

James Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. is an American politician who served as the 39th President of the United States and was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, the only U.S. President to have received the Prize after leaving office...

 to a new seat on the United States District Court for the District of Kansas

United States District Court for the District of Kansas

The United States District Court for the District of Kansas is the federal district court whose jurisdiction is the state of Kansas. The Court operates out of the Robert J. Dole United States Courthouse in Kansas City, the Frank Carlson Federal Building in Topeka, and the United States Courthouse...

 created by 92 Stat. 1629. He was confirmed by the United States Senate

United States Senate

The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...

 on October 31, 1979, and received his commission on November 2, 1979. He assumed senior status

Senior status

Senior status is a form of semi-retirement for United States federal judges, and judges in some state court systems. After federal judges have reached a certain combination of age and years of service on the federal courts, they are allowed to assume senior status...

 on November 16, 1990, serving in that capacity until his death, in Topeka.

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