Seth Thomas was a federal judge. Born in McConnelsville, Ohio

McConnelsville, Ohio

McConnelsville is a village in Morgan County, Ohio, United States. The population was 1,676 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Morgan County. As of October 19 2011, the mayor is John Walter Finley.-Geography:...

, he did not get a college degree until he was 31, receiving a Ph.B. from the University of Iowa

University of Iowa

The University of Iowa is a public state-supported research university located in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. It is the oldest public university in the state. The university is organized into eleven colleges granting undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees...

 in 1904. He remained at the University of Iowa for his graduate work, receiving a master's degree in 1906 and a law degree in 1910. Upon receiving his law degree, he started a private practice of law in Fort Dodge, Iowa

Fort Dodge, Iowa

Fort Dodge is a city and county seat of Webster County, Iowa, United States, along the Des Moines River. The population was 25,206 in the 2010 census, an increase from 25,136 in the 2000 census. Fort Dodge is a major commercial center for North Central and Northwest Iowa. It is located on U.S...

.

Thomas suspended his private practice to become the Assistant United States Attorney

United States Attorney

United States Attorneys represent the United States federal government in United States district court and United States court of appeals. There are 93 U.S. Attorneys stationed throughout the United States, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands...

 for the Northern District of Iowa in 1914. After about six years of service, he returned to his private practice in 1920. He didn't return to public service until the Democratic Party

Democratic Party (United States)

The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...

 again controlled the White House in 1933, when he became Solicitor for the United States Department of Agriculture

United States Department of Agriculture

The United States Department of Agriculture is the United States federal executive department responsible for developing and executing U.S. federal government policy on farming, agriculture, and food...

.

On November 30, 1935, Charles Breckenridge Faris

Charles Breckenridge Faris

Charles Breckenridge Faris was a United States federal judge.Charles Breckenridge Faris attended St. Louis Law School. He attended the University of Missouri, where he received a B.L. and a B.Pd. in 1889, and a LL.D. in 1922. He was in private practice in Caruthersville, Missouri from 1891 to 1892...

 retired as judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit

United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit

The United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts:* Eastern District of Arkansas* Western District of Arkansas...

. On December 2, President Franklin D. Roosevelt

Franklin D. Roosevelt

Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...

 put Thomas in Faris' seat via a recess appointment

Recess appointment

A recess appointment is the appointment, by the President of the United States, of a senior federal official while the U.S. Senate is in recess. The U.S. Constitution requires that the most senior federal officers must be confirmed by the Senate before assuming office, but while the Senate is in...

. On January 6, 1936, after Congress reconvened, Roosevelt nominated Thomas to a permanent appointment as judge of the Eighth Circuit. Thomas was confirmed on January 22 and received his commission on January 28.

After eighteen years of serving on the federal bench, Thomas 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 May 1, 1954. He died, still a senior judge, in Sioux City, Iowa

Sioux City, Iowa

Sioux City is a city in Plymouth and Woodbury counties in the western part of the U.S. state of Iowa. The population was 82,684 in the 2010 census, a decline from 85,013 in the 2000 census, which makes it currently the fourth largest city in the state....

on February 2, 1962.