U.S. Court of Customs and Patent Appeals
The U.S. Court of Customs and Patent Appeals heard appeals in customs and patent matters from 1929 until 1982, when it merged into the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. Its judges were nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate. This page lists every judge to serve on the court.
No currently serving judges on record.
| Judge | Appointed by | Years |
|---|---|---|
| Helen Wilson Nies | Carter (D) | 1980–1982 |
| Jack Richard Miller | Nixon (R) | 1973–1982 |
| Howard Thomas Markey · Chief | Nixon (R) | 1972–1982 |
| Donald Edward Lane | Nixon (R) | 1969–1979 |
| Phillip Benjamin Baldwin | Johnson (D) | 1968–1982 |
| James Lindsay Almond Jr. | Kennedy (D) | 1963–1982 |
| Arthur Mumford Smith | Eisenhower (R) | 1959–1968 |
| Isaac Jack Martin | Eisenhower (R) | 1958–1966 |
| Giles Sutherland Rich | Eisenhower (R) | 1956–1982 |
| William Purrington Cole | Truman (D) | 1952–1957 |
| Francis Eugene Worley · Chief | Truman (D) | 1950–1974 |
| Noble Jacob Johnson · Chief | Truman (D) | 1948–1968 |
| Ambrose O'Connell | Roosevelt (D) | 1944–1962 |
| Finis James Garrett · Chief | Roosevelt (D) | 1937–1955 |
| Joseph Raymond Jackson | Roosevelt (D) | 1937–1969 |
| Irvine Luther Lenroot | Hoover (R) | 1929–1944 |
How a judge gets here. Each judge is nominated by a president and confirmed by the U.S. Senate, then holds a numbered seat, for life, until they take senior status, or until they leave the bench. Open any judge to see who appointed them, how the Senate voted, and whom they succeeded, a chain that runs back to 1929.
Source: FJC Biographical Directory. Data last verified 2026-06-29. Verify against the primary source before relying.