JudicialFinder
Supreme Court / Appointed 1940 / Served to 1949
Portrait of Frank Murphy

Frank Murphy

Associate Justice, Supreme Court of the United States

Appointed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1940 and confirmed by voice vote, Frank Murphy was an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. He earned a law degree from University of Michigan Law School in 1914. 35 opinions of the Court ↓ Sources ↓

Lived
1890–1949
Appointed by
Franklin D. Roosevelt, 1940
Confirmed
by voice vote
Education
University of Michigan 1912 · University of Michigan Law School 1914
Succeeded
Pierce Butler
Succeeded by
Tom C. Clark

Federal judicial service

YearCourtAppointed byVote
1940Supreme Court
succeeded Pierce Butler
F.D. Roosevelt (D)Voice vote

Party letters show the appointing president’s party, not the judge’s own. A voice vote means the chamber approved aloud. No senator-by-senator tally is recorded.

Confirmation vote

Voice vote

The Senate approved this confirmation aloud, with no senator-by-senator tally recorded. Recorded roll-call votes begin in 1989.

Education

University of MichiganA.B.1912
University of Michigan Law SchoolLL.B.1914

Opinions of the Court

Murphy delivered 35 opinions of the Court in the covered window (October Term 1946 – October Term 1948). Most cited: Hickman, Administrator, v. Taylor et al., Trading as Taylor & Anderson Towing & Lighterage Co., et al. (4,981 citations).

YearCaseCitationCited
1949Christoffel v. United States338 U.S. 84 (1949)–
1949City of Morgantown v. Royal Insurance Co., Ltd.337 U.S. 254 (1949)164
1949Brooks v. United States337 U.S. 49 (1949)344
1949California v. Zook et al.336 U.S. 725 (1949)181
1949Defense Supplies Corp. et al. v. Lawrence Warehouse Co. et al.336 U.S. 631 (1949)–
1949Commissioner of Internal Revenue v. Phipps336 U.S. 410 (1949)–
1949National Labor Relations Board v. Stowe Spinning Co. et al.336 U.S. 226 (1949)–
1949Daniel, Attorney General, et al. v. Family Security Life Insurance Co. et al.336 U.S. 220 (1949)153
1949Lawson, Deputy Commissioner, United States Employees' Compensation Commission, v. Suwannee Fruit & Steamship Co. et al.336 U.S. 198 (1949)232
1948West v. Oklahoma Tax Commission334 U.S. 717 (1948)–
1948Trupiano et al. v. United States334 U.S. 699 (1948)611
1948Wade v. Mayo, State Prison Custodian334 U.S. 672 (1948)265
1948Price v. Johnston, Warden334 U.S. 266 (1948)1320
1948Commissioner of Internal Revenue v. Sunnen333 U.S. 591 (1948)2464
1948Mitchell et al., Members of the Civil Service Commission, v. Cohen333 U.S. 411 (1948)–
1948Lee v. Mississippi332 U.S. 742 (1948)–
1947Kavanagh, Collector of Internal Revenue, v. Noble332 U.S. 535 (1947)104
1947Jones, Collector of Internal Revenue, v. Liberty Glass Co.332 U.S. 524 (1947)210
1947United States v. Yellow CAB Co. et al.332 U.S. 218 (1947)471
1947Securities & Exchange Commission v. Chenery Corporation et al.332 U.S. 194 (1947)3981
1947Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen v. Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Co. et al.331 U.S. 519 (1947)771
1947United States v. Walsh, Trading as Kelp Laboratories331 U.S. 432 (1947)–
1947National Labor Relations Board v. Jones & Laughlin Steel Corp.331 U.S. 416 (1947)126
1947National Labor Relations Board v. E. C. Atkins & Co.331 U.S. 398 (1947)103
1947Ayrshire Collieries Corp. et al. v. United States et al.331 U.S. 132 (1947)–
1947United States National Bank et al. v. Chase National Bank et al.331 U.S. 28 (1947)–
1947Industrial Commission of Wisconsin et al. v. McCartin et al.330 U.S. 622 (1947)139
1947United States Department of Agriculture, Emergency Crop and Feed Loans v. Remund, Administrator330 U.S. 539 (1947)–
1947Cardillo, Deputy Commissioner, United States Employees' Compensation Commission, v. Liberty Mutual Insurance Co. et al.330 U.S. 469 (1947)423
1947United States v. N. Y. Rayon Importing Co., Inc. (#2) et al.329 U.S. 654 (1947)247
1947United States v. Thayer-West Point Hotel Co.329 U.S. 585 (1947)161
1947Order of Railway Conductors of America et al. v. Swan et al.329 U.S. 520 (1947)–
1947Hickman, Administrator, v. Taylor et al., Trading as Taylor & Anderson Towing & Lighterage Co., et al.329 U.S. 495 (1947)4981
1946National Labor Relations Board v. a. J. Tower Co.329 U.S. 324 (1946)377
1946American Power & Light Co. v. Securities & Exchange Commission329 U.S. 90 (1946)624

Opinions of the Court only: the Court’s slip-opinion tables don’t list dissents or concurrences separately. Earlier opinions arrive with the bound-volume ingest. Browse all Supreme Court opinions.

Questions & answers

Who appointed Frank Murphy?
President Franklin D. Roosevelt appointed Frank Murphy to the Supreme Court of the United States in 1940.
Was Frank Murphy appointed by a Democrat or a Republican?
Frank Murphy was appointed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, a Democrat. JudicialFinder records the appointing president's party, not a judge's own politics.
What was Frank Murphy's confirmation vote?
Frank Murphy was confirmed by voice vote on January 16, 1940. No senator-by-senator tally was recorded.
Which court was Frank Murphy on?
Frank Murphy was an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States.

Sources

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9 years on the Supreme Court of the United States. Data as of 2026-08-10. Informational only; verify against the primary source before relying. Not a consumer report (FCRA).