John Knight (judge)

John Knight (April 29, 1871 in Arcade, Wyoming County, New York – June 15, 1955) was an American lawyer and politician from New York. He was President pro tempore of the New York State Senate from 1925 to 1931, and was later a United States federal judge.

Life

Knight graduated A.B. from the University of Rochester in 1893, then studied law, and was admitted to the bar in 1896. He was Town Clerk of Arcade from 1892 to 1896. He was in private practice in Arcade from 1896 to 1900, and was a Referee in Bankruptcy for the U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York from 1899 to 1904. He was District Attorney of Wyoming County from 1904 to 1913.

Knight was a member of the New York State Assembly (Wyoming Co.) in 1913, 1914, 1915 and 1916; and was Chairman of the Committee on Codes in 1915, and Chairman of the Committee on the Judiciary in 1916.

He was a member of the New York State Senate (44th D.) from 1917 to 1931, sitting in the 140th, 141st, 142nd, 143rd, 144th, 145th, 146th, 147th, 148th, 149th, 150th, 151st, 152nd, 153rd and 154th New York State Legislatures; and was President pro tempore from 1925 to 1931. He was an alternate delegate to the 1924 Republican National Convention and a delegate to the 1928 Republican National Convention.

On March 30, 1931, Knight received a recess appointment from President Herbert Hoover to a seat on the United States District Court for the Western District of New York vacated by John R. Hazel. Formally nominated on December 15, 1931, Knight was confirmed by the United States Senate on January 6, 1932, and received his commission on January 9, 1932. He served as chief judge from 1948 until his death in 1955.

Sources

• John Knight at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a publication of the Federal Judicial Center.
• [1] Appointed to federal bench, in NYT on March 31, 1931 (subscription required)
• [2] Obit in NYT on June 16, 1955 (subscription required)
• Fenner-Broughton Family History: The Family of James Elory Fenner, 1844-1912, and Hester Adamantha (Broughton) Fenner, 1847-1922, of Crawford County, Pennsylvania by Jim Fenner (Closson Press, 1995)