Ross Wilkins (February 19, 1799 – May 17, 1872) was 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, which each cover one U.S. state or, in some cases, a portion of a state. Each district cou ...

of the United States District Court for the District of Michigan and the

United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan (in case citations, E.D. Mich.) is the federal district court with jurisdiction over of the eastern half of the Lower Peninsula of the State of Michigan. The Court is based ...

Education and career

Born on February 19, 1799, in

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Western Pennsylvania, the second-most populous city in Pennsyl ...

, Wilkins graduated from

Dickinson College , mottoeng = Freedom is made safe through character and learning , established = , type = Private liberal arts college , endowment = $645.5 million (2022) , president = ...

in 1816 and

read law Reading law was the 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 under the ...

in 1820. He was a prosecutor in Pittsburgh from 1821 to 1823. He entered private practice in Pittsburgh from 1823 to 1832. He was a member of the

Pennsylvania House of Representatives The Pennsylvania House of Representatives is the lower house of the bicameral Pennsylvania General Assembly, the legislature of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. There are 203 members, elected for two-year terms from single member districts. It ...

from 1829 to 1830.

Federal judicial service

Wilkins was appointed by President Jackson as a Judge of the United States District Court for the District of

Michigan Territory The Territory of Michigan was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from June 30, 1805, until January 26, 1837, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Michigan. Detroit ...

, on April 26, 1832, serving from 1832 to 1837, and opening his first term of court on June 17, 1832. He was recorder for

Detroit, Michigan Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at ...

, in 1837. Following the admission of the State of Michigan to the Union on January 26, 1837, Wilkins was nominated by President

Andrew Jackson Andrew Jackson (March 15, 1767 – June 8, 1845) was an American lawyer, planter, general, and statesman who served as the seventh president of the United States from 1829 to 1837. Before being elected to the presidency, he gained fame as ...

on July 2, 1836, to the United States District Court for the District of Michigan, to a new seat authorized by 5 Stat. 61. He was confirmed by the

United States Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and pow ...

on July 2, 1836, and received his commission on January 26, 1837. Wilkins was reassigned by

operation of law The phrase "by operation of law" is a legal term that indicates that a right or liability has been created for a party, irrespective of the intent of that party, because it is dictated by existing legal principles. For example, if a person dies wi ...

to the

on February 24, 1863, to a new seat authorized by 12 Stat. 660. His service terminated on February 18, 1870, due to his retirement. He never missed a term of court during his entire service on the court.

Recommendation

John M. Snowden, who stood high in favor with President Jackson, recommended Wilkins for appointment to the office of district court judge. Shortly afterwards a friend of another applicant for the same office appeared before the President and denounced the man recommended by Mr. Snowden, as being utterly unfit for the place. Old Hickory, with eyes flashing fire, roared out: "How dare you say that? Do you think John M. Snowden would recommend a man unfit for the position? No, never by the eternal!"

Other service

Wilkins was also a member of the convention that drafted the

Michigan Constitution The Constitution of the State of Michigan is the governing document of the U.S. state of Michigan. It describes the structure and function of the state's government. There have been four constitutions approved by the people of Michigan. The fi ...

of 1835, and also of the two conventions held in 1836 to accept terms imposed on Michigan statehood by Congress (see the

Toledo War The Toledo War (1835–36), also known as the Michigan–Ohio War or the Ohio–Michigan War, was an almost bloodless boundary dispute between the U.S. state of Ohio and the adjoining territory of Michigan over what is now known as the Toled ...

). He also served on the Board of Regents for the

University of Michigan , mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth" , former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821) , budget = $10.3 billion (2021) , endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...

, from its creation in 1837 until 1842.

Later service and death

Wilkins was a retired attorney in Detroit from 1869 to 1872. He died there on May 17, 1872, and was interred at Elmwood Cemetery.

Family

Wilkins was the son of

Major General Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...

John Wilkins Jr., who served in both the Revolutionary War and the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States, United States of America and its Indigenous peoples of the Americas, indigenous allies against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom ...

, and became the 7th Quartermaster General of the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, ...

. His uncle was William Wilkins, a notable lawyer, jurist and politician in Pennsylvania.

References

External links

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The Political Graveyard
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wilkins, Ross Members of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives Pennsylvania lawyers Dickinson College alumni 1799 births 1872 deaths Judges of the United States District Court for the District of Michigan Judges of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan United States federal judges appointed by Andrew Jackson 19th-century American judges Regents of the University of Michigan Quartermasters Politicians from Pittsburgh United States federal judges admitted to the practice of law by reading law Burials at Elmwood Cemetery (Detroit)