Court of Claims / Appointed 1874 / Served to 1896
William Adams Richardson
Chief Justice, Court of Claims
Appointed by President Ulysses Grant in 1874 and confirmed by the Senate 27–20, William Adams Richardson was a Chief Justice on the Court of Claims. He earned a law degree from Harvard Law School in 1846. Sources ↓
- Appointed by
- Ulysses Grant, 1874
- Confirmed
- 27–20
- Education
- Harvard College 1843 · Harvard Law School 1846
- Succeeded
- Samuel Milligan
- Succeeded by
- Charles Cooper Nott
Federal judicial service
| Year | Court | Appointed by | Vote |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1874 | Court of Claims · succeeded Samuel Milligan | Grant (R) | 27–20 |
| 1885 | Court of Claims · succeeded Charles Daniel Drake | Arthur (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
| Harvard College | A.B. | 1843 |
| Harvard College | A.M. | 1846 |
| Harvard Law School | LL.B. | 1846 |
Sources
Each fact on this page traces to a primary public record.
- FJC Biographical Directory (opens primary source in a new tab)
- Wikidata (opens primary source in a new tab)
- Portrait: Matthew Brady (Public domain), via Wikimedia Commons (opens primary source in a new tab)
How we source & reconcile data → Data & Sources
22 years on the Court of Claims. Data last verified 2026-06-29. Informational only; verify against the primary source before relying. Not a consumer report (FCRA).