James Braxton Craven Jr. (April 3, 1918 – May 3, 1977) was a

United States circuit judge In the United States, a federal judge is a judge who serves on a court established under Article Three of the U.S. Constitution. Often called "Article III judges", federal judges include the chief justice and associate justices of the U.S. Su ...

of the

United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit The United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit (in case citations, 4th Cir.) is a United States federal court, federal court located in Richmond, Virginia, with appellate jurisdiction over the United States district court, district cou ...

and previously was a United States district judge of the

United States District Court for the Western District of North Carolina The United States District Court for the Western District of North Carolina (in case citations, W.D.N.C.) is a United States district court, federal district court which covers the western third of North Carolina. Appeals from the Western Distr ...

Education and career

Born in Lenoir,

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 ...

, Craven received an Artium Baccalaureus degree from

Duke University Duke University is a Private university, private research university in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present-day city of Trinity, North Carolina, Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1 ...

in 1939 and a

Bachelor of Laws A Bachelor of Laws (; LLB) is an undergraduate law degree offered in most common law countries as the primary law degree and serves as the first professional qualification for legal practitioners. This degree requires the study of core legal subje ...

from

Harvard Law School Harvard Law School (HLS) is the law school of Harvard University, a Private university, private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1817, Harvard Law School is the oldest law school in continuous operation in the United ...

in 1942. He was a solicitor for Burke County, North Carolina in 1947. He was in private practice of law in Charlotte and

Asheville Asheville ( ) is a city in Buncombe County, North Carolina, United States. Located at the confluence of the French Broad and Swannanoa rivers, it is the county seat of Buncombe County. It is the most populous city in Western North Carolina a ...

, North Carolina from 1948 to 1956. He was an

Assistant United States Attorney An assistant United States attorney (AUSA) is an official career civil service position in the U.S. Department of Justice composed of lawyers working under the U.S. attorney of each U.S. federal judicial district. They represent the federal gov ...

for the Western District of North Carolina from 1948 to 1952. Governor

Luther H. 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 ...

appointed him a special judge of the

North Carolina Superior Court The Superior Court is North Carolina's general jurisdiction trial court. It was established in 1777 and is North Carolina's oldest court. History The Superior Court is North Carolina's oldest court. It was established by a law passed on November 1 ...

, where he served from 1956 to 1961.

Federal judicial service

Craven 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 July 24, 1961, to the

, to a new seat authorized 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 9, 1961, and received his commission on August 10, 1961. He served as Chief Judge from 1962 to 1966. His service terminated on July 5, 1966, due to elevation to the Fourth Circuit. Craven was nominated by President

Lyndon B. Johnson Lyndon Baines Johnson (; August 27, 1908January 22, 1973), also known as LBJ, was the 36th president of the United States, serving from 1963 to 1969. He became president after the assassination of John F. Kennedy, under whom he had served a ...

on June 13, 1966, to the

, to a new seat authorized by 80 Stat. 75. He was confirmed by the Senate on June 29, 1966, and received his commission on June 29, 1966. His service terminated on May 3, 1977, due to his death in

Richmond Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, California, a city in the United States * Richmond, London, a town in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, England * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town ...

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...

References

Sources

*
Holderness Moot Court
{{DEFAULTSORT:Craven, James Braxton Jr. 1918 births 1977 deaths Judges of the United States District Court for the Western District of North Carolina United States district court judges appointed by John F. Kennedy Judges of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit United States court of appeals judges appointed by Lyndon B. Johnson North Carolina state court judges Duke University alumni Harvard Law School alumni 20th-century American lawyers Assistant United States attorneys People from Lenoir, North Carolina