Fourth Circuit / Appointed 1981 / Served to 2018

Robert Foster Chapman

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

Appointed by President Ronald Reagan in 1981 and confirmed by voice vote, Robert Foster Chapman was a Judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. He earned a law degree from University of South Carolina School of Law in 1949. He previously served on the District of South Carolina.Sources: FJC Biographical Directory · Senate confirmation, September 16, 1981

Appointed by
Ronald Reagan, 1981
Confirmed
by voice vote
Education
University of South Carolina 1945 · University of South Carolina Law 1949
Succeeded by
Karen J. Williams
Federal judicial service
YearCourtAppointed byVote
1971District of South CarolinaNixon (R)voice
1981Fourth Circuit · succeeded Clement Furman Haynsworth Jr.Reagan (R)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
Sources

36 years on the Fourth Circuit. Data last verified 2026-06-28. Informational only; verify against the primary source before relying. Not a consumer report (FCRA).