Who appointed Smith McPherson?

President William McKinley appointed Smith McPherson to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa in 1900.

Was Smith McPherson appointed by a Democrat or a Republican?

Smith McPherson was appointed by President William McKinley, a Republican. JudicialFinder records the appointing president's party, not a judge's own politics.

What was Smith McPherson's confirmation vote?

Smith McPherson was confirmed by voice vote on May 7, 1900. No senator-by-senator tally was recorded.

Southern District of Iowa / Appointed 1900 / Served to 1915

Smith McPherson

Judge, U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa

Appointed by President William McKinley in 1900 and confirmed by voice vote, Smith McPherson was a Judge on the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa. He earned a law degree from University of Iowa College of Law in 1870. Sources ↓

Lived: 1848–1915
Appointed by: William McKinley, 1900
Confirmed: by voice vote
Education: University of Iowa College of Law 1870
Succeeded: John Simson Woolson
Succeeded by: Martin Joseph Wade

Federal judicial service

Year	Court	Appointed by	Vote
1900	Southern District of Iowa succeeded John Simson Woolson	McKinley (R)	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 Iowa College of Law

LL.B.

1870

Questions & answers

Who appointed Smith McPherson?: President William McKinley appointed Smith McPherson to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa in 1900.
Was Smith McPherson appointed by a Democrat or a Republican?: Smith McPherson was appointed by President William McKinley, a Republican. JudicialFinder records the appointing president's party, not a judge's own politics.
What was Smith McPherson's confirmation vote?: Smith McPherson was confirmed by voice vote on May 7, 1900. No senator-by-senator tally was recorded.
Which court was Smith McPherson on?: Smith McPherson was a Judge on the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa.

Sources

Each fact on this page traces to a primary public record.

How we source & reconcile data → Data & Sources

See something wrong? Report an error. Fixes are logged in the corrections log.

14 years on the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa. Data as of 2026-08-10. Informational only; verify against the primary source before relying. Not a consumer report (FCRA).