John Kilkenny
Encyclopedia
John Francis Kilkenny was a United States federal judge
in the District of Oregon
and then on the Ninth Circuit
.
, from County Leitrim
in Ireland
in the 1890s. They worked for the railroads until they had saved enough money to buy land.
John Kilkenny was born in Heppner, Oregon
on October 26, 1901. He was raised on a sheep farm
and attended the one-room Alpine School before being sent to Portland, Oregon
, where he attended the private boys' boarding school Columbia Preparatory.
After graduation, Judge Kilkenny went on to the University of Notre Dame Law School
in South Bend, Indiana
. He graduated in 1925 with cum laude honors earning an LL.B.. At Notre Dame, Kilkenny tried out for the football
team, then coached by Knute Rockne
, but a knee injury kept him from playing. He helped manage one of the teams and was assigned by Rockne the task of acquiring four horses for the Four Horsemen
photograph in 1924 due to his experience growing up on a ranch.
, until his appointment to the federal bench in 1959. In 1931 he married Miss Virginia Brannock in Pendleton and had two children: Michael John and Karen. While in private practice he served as president of the Oregon State Bar
from 1943 to 1944. He then was a trustee from 1956 to 1958 of the Oregon State Library
and the University of Portland
.
Dwight D. Eisenhower
on February 19, 1959, to a seat vacated by Judge Claude C. McColloch
. He was confirmed
by the United States Senate
on July 28, 1959, and received his commission on July 30, 1959. Upon appointment to the federal ditstrict court, Kilkenny became Oregon’s first Catholic
federal judge since Oregon had become a state in 1859.
In 1969 he was nominated for a promotion to the Circuit Court by President Richard Nixon
on May 12, 1969, to a new seat created by 82 Stat. 184. He was confirmed by the Senate on September 12, 1969, and received his commission on September 16, 1969. Kilkenny assumed senior status
on November 1, 1971, serving in this capacity until his death.
He was replaced on both courts by Judge Alfred Goodwin
.
’s Pioneer Courthouse
, receiving an award for this work in 1974 from the American Association for State and Local History.
Kilkenny was a student of Irish American
history, and wrote Shamrocks and Shepherds: The Irish of Morrow County (1981), about the history of Irish settlement in Eastern Oregon. In the same year Kilkenny received an award of merit from the Oregon State Bar.
Judge Kilkenny donated funds to both Blue Mountain Community College
and his alma mater
, Notre Dame law school.
Kilkenny died in Beaverton, Oregon
, at the age of 93 on February 17, 1995. He was buried is at Olney Cemetery in Pendleton.
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....
in the District of Oregon
United States District Court for the District of Oregon
The United States District Court for the District of Oregon is the Federal district court whose jurisdiction comprises the state of Oregon. It was created in 1859 when the state was admitted to the Union...
and then on the Ninth Circuit
United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit is a U.S. federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts:* District of Alaska* District of Arizona...
.
Early life
Kilkenny’s father and uncle immigrated to Morrow County, OregonMorrow County, Oregon
Morrow County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oregon, on the south side of the Columbia River. It is included in the 8 county definition of Eastern Oregon. The county is named for one of its first white settlers, Jackson L. Morrow, who was a member of the state legislature when the county...
, from County Leitrim
County Leitrim
County Leitrim is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the village of Leitrim. Leitrim County Council is the local authority for the county...
in Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
in the 1890s. They worked for the railroads until they had saved enough money to buy land.
John Kilkenny was born in Heppner, Oregon
Heppner, Oregon
The city of Heppner is the county seat of Morrow County, Oregon, United States. It was originally called Standsbury Flat for George W. Standsbury, one of the first white settlers in the area. It was later renamed to honor Henry Heppner, a Jewish pioneer who opened the first general store there in...
on October 26, 1901. He was raised on a sheep farm
Farm
A farm is an area of land, or, for aquaculture, lake, river or sea, including various structures, devoted primarily to the practice of producing and managing food , fibres and, increasingly, fuel. It is the basic production facility in food production. Farms may be owned and operated by a single...
and attended the one-room Alpine School before being sent to Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
, where he attended the private boys' boarding school Columbia Preparatory.
After graduation, Judge Kilkenny went on to the University of Notre Dame Law School
Notre Dame Law School
The Notre Dame Law School, or NDLS, is the professional graduate law program of its parent institution, the University of Notre Dame. Established in 1869, NDLS is the oldest Roman Catholic law school in the United States. NDLS is ranked 22nd among the nation's "Top 100 Law Schools" by U.S. News &...
in South Bend, Indiana
South Bend, Indiana
The city of South Bend is the county seat of St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States, on the St. Joseph River near its southernmost bend, from which it derives its name. As of the 2010 Census, the city had a total of 101,168 residents; its Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 316,663...
. He graduated in 1925 with cum laude honors earning an LL.B.. At Notre Dame, Kilkenny tried out for the football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
team, then coached by Knute Rockne
Knute Rockne
Knute Kenneth Rockne was an American football player and coach. He is regarded as one of the greatest coaches in college football history...
, but a knee injury kept him from playing. He helped manage one of the teams and was assigned by Rockne the task of acquiring four horses for the Four Horsemen
Four Horsemen (football)
The Four Horsemen of Notre Dame comprised a winning group of American football players at the University of Notre Dame under coach Knute Rockne. They were the backfield of Notre Dame's 1924 football team...
photograph in 1924 due to his experience growing up on a ranch.
Legal career
Upon graduation he became a practicing attorney in Pendleton, OregonPendleton, Oregon
Pendleton is a city in Umatilla County, Oregon, United States. Pendleton was named in 1868 by the county commissioners for George H. Pendleton, Democratic candidate for Vice-President in the 1864 presidential campaign. The population was 16,612 at the 2010 census...
, until his appointment to the federal bench in 1959. In 1931 he married Miss Virginia Brannock in Pendleton and had two children: Michael John and Karen. While in private practice he served as president of the Oregon State Bar
Oregon State Bar
The Oregon State Bar is a government agency in the U.S. state of Oregon. Founded in 1890 as the private Oregon Bar Association, it became a public entity in 1935 that regulates the legal profession. The public corporation is part of the Oregon Judicial Department...
from 1943 to 1944. He then was a trustee from 1956 to 1958 of the Oregon State Library
Oregon State Library
The Oregon State Library in Salem, is the library for the U.S. state of Oregon. The mission of the Oregon State Library is to provide quality information services to Oregon state government, provide reading materials to blind and print-disabled Oregonians, and provide leadership, grants, and other...
and the University of Portland
University of Portland
The University of Portland is a private Roman Catholic university located in Portland, Oregon. It is affiliated with the Congregation of Holy Cross and is the sister school of the University of Notre Dame. Founded in 1901, UP has a student body of about 3,600 students...
.
Judicial career
Kilkenny was nominated to a judgeship on the District Court by PresidentPresident of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower was the 34th President of the United States, from 1953 until 1961. He was a five-star general in the United States Army...
on February 19, 1959, to a seat vacated by Judge Claude C. McColloch
Claude C. McColloch
Claude Charles McColloch was an American attorney and judge in Oregon. A native of California, he served as a federal district court judge in Portland, Oregon, including four years as the courts chief judge...
. He was confirmed
Advice and consent
Advice and consent is an English phrase frequently used in enacting formulae of bills and in other legal or constitutional contexts, describing a situation in which the executive branch of a government enacts something previously approved of by the legislative branch.-General:The expression is...
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 July 28, 1959, and received his commission on July 30, 1959. Upon appointment to the federal ditstrict court, Kilkenny became Oregon’s first Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
federal judge since Oregon had become a state in 1859.
In 1969 he was nominated for a promotion to the Circuit Court by President Richard Nixon
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
on May 12, 1969, to a new seat created by 82 Stat. 184. He was confirmed by the Senate on September 12, 1969, and received his commission on September 16, 1969. Kilkenny 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 1, 1971, serving in this capacity until his death.
He was replaced on both courts by Judge Alfred Goodwin
Alfred Goodwin
Alfred Theodore Goodwin is a senior judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. He was chief judge of that court in 1988-91.-Education and professional career:...
.
Later life
In 1984, the federal courthouse in Pendleton, Oregon was renamed in his honor and is now the John F. Kilkenny U.S. Post Office and Courthouse. While on the bench, Kilkenny worked to preserve Portland, OregonPortland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
’s Pioneer Courthouse
Pioneer Courthouse
The Pioneer Courthouse is a federal courthouse in Portland, Oregon, United States. Built beginning in 1869, the structure is the oldest federal building in the Pacific Northwest, and the second oldest west of the Mississippi River. Along with Pioneer Courthouse Square, it serves as the center of...
, receiving an award for this work in 1974 from the American Association for State and Local History.
Kilkenny was a student of Irish American
Irish American
Irish Americans are citizens of the United States who can trace their ancestry to Ireland. A total of 36,278,332 Americans—estimated at 11.9% of the total population—reported Irish ancestry in the 2008 American Community Survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau...
history, and wrote Shamrocks and Shepherds: The Irish of Morrow County (1981), about the history of Irish settlement in Eastern Oregon. In the same year Kilkenny received an award of merit from the Oregon State Bar.
Judge Kilkenny donated funds to both Blue Mountain Community College
Blue Mountain Community College
Blue Mountain Community College is a community college located in Pendleton, Oregon, United States, and serves Umatilla, Morrow, and Baker counties...
and his alma mater
Alma mater
Alma mater , pronounced ), was used in ancient Rome as a title for various mother goddesses, especially Ceres or Cybele, and in Christianity for the Virgin Mary.-General term:...
, Notre Dame law school.
Kilkenny died in Beaverton, Oregon
Beaverton, Oregon
Beaverton is a city in Washington County, Oregon, United States, seven miles west of Portland in the Tualatin River Valley.As of the 2010 census, the population is 90,267. This makes it the second-largest city in the county and Oregon's sixth-largest city...
, at the age of 93 on February 17, 1995. He was buried is at Olney Cemetery in Pendleton.
Further information
- Kilkenny, John F. "Oral History with John F. Kilkenny." Interview conducted on June 12 and October 3, 1984, by Rick Harmon. U.S. District Court of Oregon Collection, Oregon Historical SocietyOregon Historical SocietyThe Oregon Historical Society is an organization that encourages and promotes the study and understanding of the history of the Oregon Country, within the broader context of U.S. history. Incorporated in 1898, the Society collects, preserves, and makes available materials of historical character...
, Portland, Oregon, 1984. Audiotape, 15 hours, 10 minutes.