Fifth Circuit / Appointed 1965 / Served to 1995

William Homer Thornberry

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

Appointed by President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1965 and confirmed by voice vote, William Homer Thornberry was a Judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. He earned a law degree from University of Texas School of Law in 1936. He previously served on the Western District of Texas.Sources: FJC Biographical Directory · Senate confirmation, July 1, 1965

Appointed by
Lyndon B. Johnson, 1965
Confirmed
by voice vote
Education
University of Texas Law 1936
Federal judicial service
YearCourtAppointed byVote
1963Western District of Texas · succeeded Robert Ewing ThomasonKennedy (D)voice
1965Fifth Circuit · succeeded Joseph Chappell Hutcheson Jr.Johnson (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

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