Eastern District of Michigan / Appointed 1949 / Served to 1985

Thomas Patrick Thornton

Judge, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan

Appointed by President Harry S Truman in 1949 and confirmed by voice vote, Thomas Patrick Thornton was a Judge on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan. He earned a law degree from University of Detroit Law School (now University of Detroit Mercy School of Law) in 1926. Sources: FJC Biographical Directory · Senate confirmation, January 31, 1949

Appointed by
Harry S Truman, 1949
Confirmed
by voice vote
Education
University of Detroit Law School (now of Detroit Mercy Law) 1926
Succeeded by
Damon Jerome Keith
Federal judicial service
YearCourtAppointed byVote
1949Eastern District of Michigan · succeeded Ernest Aloysius O'BrienTruman (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
Sources

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