Who appointed John Cooper Godbold?

President Lyndon B. Johnson appointed John Cooper Godbold to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in 1966.

Was John Cooper Godbold appointed by a Democrat or a Republican?

John Cooper Godbold was appointed by President Lyndon B. Johnson, a Democrat. JudicialFinder records the appointing president's party, not a judge's own politics.

What was John Cooper Godbold's confirmation vote?

John Cooper Godbold was confirmed by voice vote on July 22, 1966. No senator-by-senator tally was recorded.

Eleventh Circuit / Appointed 1981 / Served to 2009

John Cooper Godbold

Judge, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit

Appointed by President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1966 and confirmed by voice vote, John Cooper Godbold was a Judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. He earned a law degree from Harvard Law School in 1948. He previously served on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. Sources ↓

Lived: 1920–2009
Appointed by: Lyndon B. Johnson, 1966
Confirmed: by voice vote
Chief judge: Fifth Circuit, 1981; Eleventh Circuit, 1981 to 1986
Education: Alabama Polytechnic Institute (now Auburn) 1940 · Harvard Law School 1948
Succeeded by: Emmett Ripley Cox

Federal judicial service

Year	Court	Appointed by	Vote
1966	Fifth Circuit succeeded Richard Taylor Rives chief judge 1981	L.B. Johnson (D)	Voice vote
1981	Eleventh Circuit chief judge 1981 to 1986	Reassigned	–

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

Alabama Polytechnic Institute (now Auburn University)	B.S.	1940
Harvard Law School	J.D.	1948

Before the bench

Professional career before and outside the federal bench, as recorded by the Federal Judicial Center.

U.S. Army major, Division Artillery Headquarters	1941-1946
Private practice, Montgomery, Alabama	1948-1966
Board member, Federal Judicial Center	1976-1981
Member, Judicial Conference of the United States	1981-1986
Director, Federal Judicial Center	1987-1990
Professor of law, Cumberland School of Law, Samford University	1990-2009

Questions & answers

Who appointed John Cooper Godbold?: President Lyndon B. Johnson appointed John Cooper Godbold to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in 1966.
Was John Cooper Godbold appointed by a Democrat or a Republican?: John Cooper Godbold was appointed by President Lyndon B. Johnson, a Democrat. JudicialFinder records the appointing president's party, not a judge's own politics.
What was John Cooper Godbold's confirmation vote?: John Cooper Godbold was confirmed by voice vote on July 22, 1966. No senator-by-senator tally was recorded.
Which court was John Cooper Godbold on?: John Cooper Godbold was a Judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit.

Sources

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28 years on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. Data as of 2026-09-28. Informational only; verify against the primary source before relying. Not a consumer report (FCRA).