Middle District of Tennessee / Appointed 1984 / Served to 2018
Thomas Aquinas Higgins
Judge, U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee
Appointed by President Ronald Reagan in 1984 and confirmed by voice vote, Thomas Aquinas Higgins was a Judge on the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee. He earned a law degree from Vanderbilt University Law School in 1957. Sources: FJC Biographical Directory · Senate confirmation, October 3, 1984
- Appointed by
- Ronald Reagan, 1984
- Confirmed
- by voice vote
- Education
- University of Tennessee 1954 · Vanderbilt Law School 1957
- Succeeded
- Leland Clure Morton
- Succeeded by
- William Joseph Haynes Jr.
Federal judicial service
| Year | Court | Appointed by | Vote |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | Middle District of Tennessee · succeeded Leland Clure Morton | 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
| Christian Brothers College | A.A. | 1952 |
| University of Tennessee | B.A. | 1954 |
| Vanderbilt University Law School | LL.B. | 1957 |
Sources
33 years on the Middle District of Tennessee. Data last verified 2026-06-28. Informational only; verify against the primary source before relying. Not a consumer report (FCRA).