Samuel James Ervin III
Encyclopedia
Samuel James Ervin III was a United States federal judge
and the son of U.S. Senator Sam Ervin
.
Ervin was born in Morganton, North Carolina
. He received a B.S. from Davidson College
in 1948 and an LL.B. from Harvard Law School
in 1951. He served in the United States Army
from 1944 to 1946 and from 1951 to 1952. He was in private practice of law in Morganton, North Carolina
from 1952 to 1967. He was a Solicitor for the Burke County, North Carolina
Board of Commissioners, from 1954 to 1956. He was a Member of the North Carolina House of Representatives
from 1965 to 1967. He was a judge of the Superior Court of North Carolina from 1967 to 1980.
Ervin was a judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
. Ervin was nominated by President Jimmy Carter
on April 2, 1980, to a new seat created by 92 Stat. 1629; he was confirmed by the United States Senate
on May 21, 1980, and received his commission on May 23, 1980. Ervin also served as chief judge of the court from 1989-1996. He served on the court until his death on September 18, 1999, in Morganton. Among others, he was survived by his son, Sam J. Ervin IV.
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....
and the son of U.S. Senator Sam Ervin
Sam Ervin
Samuel James "Sam" Ervin Jr. was a Democratic Senator from North Carolina from 1954 until 1974. A native of Morganton, Burke County, North Carolina, he liked to call himself a "country lawyer", and often told humorous stories in his Southern drawl...
.
Ervin was born in Morganton, North Carolina
Morganton, North Carolina
Morganton is a city in Burke County, North Carolina, United States. Reader's Digest included Morganton in its list of top ten places to raise a family. The town was recently profiled in The 50 Best Small Southern Towns. The population was 17,310 at the 2000 census...
. He received a B.S. from Davidson College
Davidson College
Davidson College is a private liberal arts college in Davidson, North Carolina. The college has graduated 23 Rhodes Scholars and is consistently ranked in the top ten liberal arts colleges in the country by U.S. News and World Report magazine, although it has recently dropped to 11th in U.S. News...
in 1948 and an LL.B. from Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School is one of the professional graduate schools of Harvard University. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, it is the oldest continually-operating law school in the United States and is home to the largest academic law library in the world. The school is routinely ranked by the U.S...
in 1951. He served 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...
from 1944 to 1946 and from 1951 to 1952. He was in private practice of law in Morganton, North Carolina
Morganton, North Carolina
Morganton is a city in Burke County, North Carolina, United States. Reader's Digest included Morganton in its list of top ten places to raise a family. The town was recently profiled in The 50 Best Small Southern Towns. The population was 17,310 at the 2000 census...
from 1952 to 1967. He was a Solicitor for the Burke County, North Carolina
Burke County, North Carolina
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 89,148 people, 34,528 households, and 24,342 families residing in the county. The population density was 176 people per square mile . There were 37,427 housing units at an average density of 74 per square mile...
Board of Commissioners, from 1954 to 1956. He was a Member of the North Carolina House of Representatives
North Carolina House of Representatives
The North Carolina House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the North Carolina General Assembly. The House is a 120-member body led by a Speaker of the House, who holds powers similar to those of the President pro-tem in the state senate....
from 1965 to 1967. He was a judge of the Superior Court of North Carolina from 1967 to 1980.
Ervin was a judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit is a federal court located in Richmond, Virginia, with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts:*District of Maryland*Eastern District of North Carolina...
. Ervin 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...
on April 2, 1980, to a new seat 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 May 21, 1980, and received his commission on May 23, 1980. Ervin also served as chief judge of the court from 1989-1996. He served on the court until his death on September 18, 1999, in Morganton. Among others, he was survived by his son, Sam J. Ervin IV.