Background
Wisdom, John Minor was born on May 17, 1905 in New Orleans. Son of Mortimer Norton and Adelaide (Labatt) Wisdom.
Wisdom, John Minor was born on May 17, 1905 in New Orleans. Son of Mortimer Norton and Adelaide (Labatt) Wisdom.
AB, Washington and Lee University, 1925. Bachelor of Laws, Tulane University, 1929. Doctor of Laws (honorary), Tulane University, 1976.
Doctor of Laws (honorary), Oberlin College, 1963. Doctor of Laws (honorary), San Diego University, 1979. Doctor of Laws (honorary), Haverford College, 1982.
Doctor of Laws (honorary), Middlebury College, 1987. Doctor of Laws (honorary), Harvard University, 1987. Doctor of Laws (honorary), Southern Methodist University, 1994.
Member, Wisdom, Stone, Pigman & Benjamin, New Orleans, 1929-1957;
judge, United States Court Appeals (5th circuit), New Orleans, since 1957;
now senior judge, United States Court Appeals (5th circuit), New Orleans
member, Multi-District Litigation Panel, 1968-1978;
chairman, Multi-District Litigation Panel, 1975-1978;
member, Special Court Regional Reorganization of Railroads, 1975-1986;
presiding judge, Special Court Regional Reorganization of Railroads, since 1986. Adjunct Professor law Tulane University, 1938-1957. Faculty IJA Appellate Judges Seminar, 1961-1970.
Visiting committees law schools University of Chicago, Harvard University, U. Miami, U. San Diego.
Member President's Committee on Government Contracts, 1953-1957. Past president New OrleansCouncil Social Agilysys. Republican national committeeman for Louisiana, 1952-1957;trustee Washington and Lee University, since 1953.
Served from captain lieutenant colonel United States Army Air Force, 1942-1946. Member American Bar Association (chairman appellate judges conference 1966-1967, 1st recipient John Minor Wisdom public service and professional award section litigation 1990, American Innsof Court Lewis F. Powell Junior award 1991, Fellows award young lawyers division 1991, President's medal of Freedom 1993, American Bar Association medal for the cause of America jurisprudence 1996), American Academy Arts and Sciences, Louisiana Bar Association, New Orleans Bar Association, Louisiana Bar Foundation, American Law Institute (county member 1961), Louisiana Law Institute, American Judicature Society, Order of Coif, Delta Kappa Epsilon, Phi Alpha Delta (Tom C. Clark Equal Justice under Law award 1982), Omicron Delta Kappa.
Married Bonnie Stewart Mathews, October 24, 1931. Children: John Minor(deceased), Kathleen Mathews, Penelope Stewart Wisdom Tose.