John Davis Larkins Jr. (June 8, 1909 – February 16, 1990) was an American politician and jurist who served as a
United States district judge
The United States district courts are the trial courts of the U.S. federal judiciary. There is one district court for each federal judicial district. Each district covers one U.S. state or a portion of a state. There is at least one feder ...
of the
.
Education and career
Born in
Morristown,
Tennessee
Tennessee (, ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Kentucky to the north, Virginia to the northeast, North Carolina t ...
, Larkins received a
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts (abbreviated B.A., BA, A.B. or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is the holder of a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the liberal arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts deg ...
degree from
Wake Forest University
Wake Forest University (WFU) is a private research university in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States. Founded in 1834, the university received its name from its original location in Wake Forest, north of Raleigh, North Carolina. The R ...
in 1929. He attended
Wake Forest University School of Law
Wake Forest University School of Law is the law school of Wake Forest University, a private research university in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Established in 1894, Wake Forest University School of Law is an American Bar Association (ABA) accred ...
but
read law
Reading law was the primary method used in common law countries, particularly the United States, for people to prepare for and enter the legal profession before the advent of law schools. It consisted of an extended internship or apprenticeship un ...
to enter the bar in 1930. He was in private practice of law in
Trenton,
North Carolina
North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...
from 1930 to 1961. He was a Conciliation Commissioner in Bankruptcy for the United States District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina in 1930. He was a Member of the
North Carolina Senate
The North Carolina Senate is the Upper house, upper chamber of the North Carolina General Assembly, which along with the North Carolina House of Representatives—the lower chamber—comprises the state legislature of North Carolina. The Senate ...
from 1936 to 1954. He was
President pro tempore from 1941 to 1943. He was a private in the
United States Army
The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...
in 1945. He was Liaison Officer and Legislative Counsel to the
Governor of North Carolina
The governor of North Carolina is the head of government of the United States, U.S. state of North Carolina. Seventy-five people have held the office since the first state governor, Richard Caswell, took office in 1777. The governor serves a ...
Luther Hodges
Luther Hartwell Hodges (March 9, 1898October 6, 1974) was an American businessman and politician. After a career in textile manufacturing, he entered public service, gaining some state appointments. Elected as lieutenant governor of North Caroli ...
in 1955.
Larkins served as chair of the
North Carolina Democratic Party
The North Carolina Democratic Party (NCDP) is the North Carolina affiliate of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party. It is headquartered in the historic Goodwin House, located in Raleigh, North Carolina, Raleigh.
The party contr ...
in the 1950s and unsuccessfully sought the Democratic nomination for Governor in
1960
It is also known as the "Year of Africa" because of major events—particularly the independence of seventeen African nations—that focused global attention on the continent and intensified feelings of Pan-Africanism.
Events January
* Janu ...
.
NCpedia biography
by William S. Powell.
Federal judicial service
Larkins was nominated by President John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), also known as JFK, was the 35th president of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963. He was the first Roman Catholic and youngest person elected p ...
on August 8, 1961, to the , to a new seat created by 75 Stat. 80. He was confirmed by the United States Senate
The United States Senate is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the upper house, with the United States House of Representatives, U.S. House of Representatives being the lower house. Together, the Senate and ...
on August 21, 1961, and received his commission the same day. He served as Chief Judge from 1975 to 1979. He assumed senior status on June 8, 1979. His service ended with his death on February 16, 1990, in Kinston, North Carolina.
References
Sources
*
The Political Graveyard
Guide to the John Davis Larkins Jr. Papers
{{DEFAULTSORT:Larkins, John Davis Jr.
1909 births
1990 deaths
Judges of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina
North Carolina Democratic Party chairs
Democratic Party North Carolina state senators
United States district court judges appointed by John F. Kennedy
Wake Forest University alumni
United States Army soldiers
United States Army personnel of World War II
20th-century American lawyers
United States federal judges admitted to the practice of law by reading law
20th-century members of the North Carolina General Assembly