William Henry Hastie 1904-1976
~ Born in Knoxville, Tennessee, to William Henry and Roberta (Child) Hastie on November 17, 1904
~ From 1941 to 1943, William H. Hastie served as civilian aide to Secretary of War Henry L. Stimson
~ He later was elected president of Amherst’s Phi Beta Kappa chapter.
~ In 1937 President Roosevelt appointed Dr. Hastie judge of the Federal District Court in the Virgin Islands. Confirmed on March 26, 1937.
~ Judge Hastie served on the bench for two years before resigning his judgeship to return to Howard University’s School of Law as dean and professor of law.
~ On May 7, 1946, Hastie was inaugurated as the first African-American governor of the Virgin Islands. On October 15, 1949, he was nominated judge of the Third United States Circuit Court of Appeals by President Harry S. Truman. It was the highest judicial position attained by an African American.
~ He served on the appellate court bench for twenty-one years.
~ In 1968, he became chief judge of his circuit and in 1971, the year of his retirement from the bench, William Henry Hastie was senior judge.
