Succession of Seats
The court has sixteen seats for active judges, numbered in the order in which they were filled. Judges who retire into senior status remain on the bench but leave their seat vacant. That seat is filled by the next circuit judge appointed by the president.
Seat 1 |
Established on December 10, 1869 by the Judiciary Act of 1869 as a circuit judgeship for the Sixth Circuit |
Reassigned to the United States Circuit Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit by the Judiciary Act of 1891 |
Jackson |
TN |
1891–1893 |
Lurton |
TN |
1893–1909 |
Knappen |
MI |
1910–1924 |
Moorman |
KY |
1925–1938 |
Hamilton |
KY |
1938–1945 |
S. Miller |
KY |
1945–1965 |
Combs |
KY |
1967–1970 |
Kent |
MI |
1970–1973 |
Engel |
MI |
1973–1989 |
Suhrheinrich |
MI |
1990–2001 |
McKeague |
MI |
2005–present |
|
Seat 2 |
Established on June 16, 1891 by the Judiciary Act of 1891 |
Taft |
OH |
1892–1900 |
Severens |
MI |
1900–1911 |
Denison |
MI |
1911–1931 |
Simons |
MI |
1932–1959 |
O'Sullivan |
MI |
1960–1969 |
W. Miller |
TN |
1970–1976 |
Merritt |
TN |
1977–2001 |
Gibbons |
TN |
2002–present |
|
Seat 3 |
Established on January 25, 1899 by 30 Stat. 803 |
Day |
OH |
1899–1903 |
Richards |
OH |
1903–1909 |
Warrington |
OH |
1909–1919 |
Donahue |
OH |
1919–1928 |
Hickenlooper |
OH |
1928–1933 |
Allen |
OH |
1934–1959 |
Weick |
OH |
1959–1981 |
Krupansky |
OH |
1982–1991 |
Moore |
OH |
1995–present |
|
Seat 4 |
Established on May 8, 1928 by 45 Stat. 492 |
Hicks |
TN |
1928–1952 |
Stewart |
OH |
1954–1958 |
Cecil |
OH |
1959–1965 |
Celebrezze |
OH |
1965–1980 |
Contie |
OH |
1982–1986 |
Norris |
OH |
1986–2001 |
Cook |
OH |
2003–present |
|
Seat 5 |
Established on May 31, 1938 by 52 Stat. 584 |
Arant |
OH |
1939–1941 |
McAllister |
MI |
1941–1963 |
Edwards |
MI |
1963–1985 |
Ryan |
MI |
1985–2000 |
Kethledge |
MI |
2008–present |
|
Seat 6 |
Established on May 24, 1940 by 54 Stat. 219 |
J. Martin |
TN |
1940–1962 |
Phillips |
TN |
1963–1979 |
Brown |
TN |
1979–1982 |
Wellford |
TN |
1982–1991 |
Siler |
KY |
1991–2001 |
Rogers |
KY |
2002–present |
|
Seat 7 |
Established on March 18, 1966 by 80 Stat. 75 |
Peck |
OH |
1966–1978 |
Jones |
OH |
1979–1995 |
Cole |
OH |
1995–present |
|
Seat 8 |
Established on March 18, 1966 by 80 Stat. 75 |
McCree |
MI |
1966–1977 |
Keith |
MI |
1977–1995 |
Griffin |
MI |
2005–present |
|
Seat 9 |
Established on June 18, 1968 by 82 Stat. 184 |
Brooks |
KY |
1969–1971 |
Lively |
KY |
1972–1989 |
Batchelder |
OH |
1991–present |
|
Seat 10 |
Established on October 20, 1978 by 92 Stat. 1629 |
Kennedy |
MI |
1979–1999 |
Neilson |
MI |
2005–2006 |
White |
MI |
2008–present |
|
Seat 11 |
Established on October 20, 1978 by 92 Stat. 1629 |
B. Martin |
KY |
1979–present |
|
Seat 12 |
Established on July 10, 1984 by 98 Stat. 333 |
Milburn |
TN |
1984–1996 |
Gilman |
TN |
1997–2010 |
Donald |
TN |
2011–present |
|
Seat 13 |
Established on July 10, 1984 by 98 Stat. 333 |
Guy |
MI |
1985–1994 |
Clay |
MI |
1997–present |
|
Seat 14 |
Established on July 10, 1984 by 98 Stat. 333 |
Nelson |
OH |
1985–1999 |
Sutton |
OH |
2003–present |
|
Seat 15 |
Established on July 10, 1984 by 98 Stat. 333 |
Boggs |
KY |
1986–present |
|
Seat 16 |
Established on December 1, 1990 by 104 Stat. 5089 |
Daughtrey |
TN |
1993–2008 |
Stranch |
TN |
2010–present |
|