James Francis Thaddeus O'Connor

James Francis Thaddeus “Jefty” O'Connor (November 10, 1886 – September 28, 1949) was a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of California.

James O'Connor


Judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of California
In office September 27, 1940 – September 28, 1949
Appointed by	Franklin D. Roosevelt
Preceded by	William P. James
Succeeded by	William Matthew Byrne Sr.
18th Comptroller of the Currency
In office May 11, 1933 – April 16, 1938
President	Franklin D. Roosevelt
Preceded by	John W. Pole
Succeeded by	Preston Delano

Personal details
Born	James Francis Thaddeus O'Connor (1886-11-10)November 10, 1886 Grand Forks, Dakota Territory, U.S. (now North Dakota)
Died	September 28, 1949(1949-09-28) (aged 62) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Education	University of North Dakota (BA, LLB) Yale University (LLB, MA)

Education and career edit

Born in Grand Forks, Dakota Territory (now North Dakota), O'Connor received an Artium Baccalaureus degree from the University of North Dakota in 1907, a Bachelor of Laws from the University of North Dakota School of Law in 1908, a Bachelor of Laws from Yale Law School in 1909, and a Master of Arts degree from Yale University in 1910. He was an Instructor of Rhetoric at Yale University from 1909 to 1912. He was in private practice in Grand Forks from 1912 to 1925, and in Los Angeles, California from 1925 to 1933. He served as Comptroller of the Currency in the United States Department of the Treasury from May 11, 1933 to April 16, 1938.^[1]^[2]

O'Connor also served in the North Dakota Legislature. He served in the North Dakota House of Representatives from 1917 to 1920.^[3] During this time, he was an opponent of the Nonpartisan League and was associated with the Independent Voters Association.^[4]^[5] In the 1920 gubernatorial election, O'Connor ran unsuccessfully against incumbent Lynn Frazier.^[6]

O'Connor was nominated by President Franklin D. Roosevelt on August 28, 1940, to a seat on the United States District Court for the Southern District of California vacated by Judge William P. James. He was confirmed by the United States Senate on September 19, 1940, and received his commission on September 27, 1940. His service terminated on September 28, 1949, due to his death in Los Angeles.^[1]

^ ^a ^b James Francis Thaddeus O'Connor at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a publication of the Federal Judicial Center.
^ Johnson, Alice Jane (1956). . UND Scholarly Commons. Archived from the original on 2022-11-08. Retrieved 2022-11-08.
^ North Dakota Legislative Council. (PDF). North Dakota Legislative Branch. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2022-10-29. Retrieved 2022-11-08.
^ Remele, Larry (1977). "The North Dakota State Library Scandal of 1919". North Dakota History. 44 (1): 21–29. ISSN 0029-2710. OCLC 6781857.
^ Independent Voters Association (N.D.) (1920). "Voters guide". Digital Horizons. OCLC 4714942. Retrieved 2023-12-07.
^ (PDF). North Dakota Secretary of State. 1920. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2021-06-24. Retrieved 2022-11-08.

James Francis Thaddeus O'Connor at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a publication of the Federal Judicial Center.

Party political offices
Preceded by S. J. Doyle	Democratic nominee for Governor of North Dakota 1920	Vacant Title next held by Halvor L. Halvorson 1924
Preceded by John Burke	Democratic nominee for U.S. Senator from North Dakota (Class 1) 1922	Succeeded by F. F. Burchard
Legal offices
Preceded by William P. James	Judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of California 1940–1949	Succeeded by William Matthew Byrne Sr.