District of Minnesota / Appointed 1858 / Served to 1896

Rensselaer Russell Nelson

Judge, U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota

Appointed by President James Buchanan in 1858 and confirmed by voice vote, Rensselaer Russell Nelson was a Judge on the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota. Sources: FJC Biographical Directory · Senate confirmation, May 30, 1858

Appointed by
James Buchanan, 1858
Confirmed
by voice vote
Succeeded by
William Lochren
Federal judicial service
YearCourtAppointed byVote
1858District of MinnesotaBuchanan (D)voice

A per-senator roll-call isn’t shown for this confirmation. The Senate’s recorded roll-call votes begin in 1989; many confirmations (especially before then, and most to the lower courts) were by voice vote or unanimous consent.

Education
Yale College1846
Read law1849
Sources

37 years on the District of Minnesota. Data last verified 2026-06-28. Informational only; verify against the primary source before relying. Not a consumer report (FCRA).