John Feikens

John Feikens (December 3, 1917 – May 15, 2011) was a politician and judge from the U.S. state of Michigan. He was the Senior Judge, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan (1986–present). Feikens had the unusual honor of being nominated to the same district court by three presidents.

Feikens was born in Clifton, New Jersey. He later resided in Grosse Pointe Park, Michigan. He was educated at Calvin College, receiving a B.A. in 1939, followed by a J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School in 1941. He practiced law in Detroit from 1942 to 1960 and from 1961 to 1970.

He worked in the priorities and war allocations department of the Detrex Corporation, in Detroit, Michigan from 1942 to 1946. He entered the private practice of law in Detroit in 1946. He was an alternate delegate to the 1952 Republican National Convention, a delegate to the 1956 convention, and an alternate delegate in 1960. He served as chairman of the Michigan Republican Party from 1953 to 1957 and was a member of the Republican National Committee in 1954.

Feikens was first nominated to the bench by President Dwight D. Eisenhower. On October 13, 1960, Feikens received a recess appointment from Eisenhower to a seat on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan vacated by Clifford Patrick O'Sullivan. Eisenhower formally nominated Feikens to the position on January 10, 1961, but the United States Senate did not confirm him, due largely to the opposition of Senator McNamara of Michigan. Feikens initial term of service was therefore terminated on September 27, 1961.

He was nominated again by John F. Kennedy, but the president withdrew the nomination. His third and final nomination came from Richard M. Nixon, on October 7, 1970, to a new seat created by 84 Stat. 294. By this time, McNamara had died, and Feiken was confirmed by the United States Senate on November 25, 1970, and received his commission on December 1, 1970. He served as Chief Judge from 1979 to 1986, and became a Senior Judge on March 1, 1986, continuing to serve in that position until his death.

Feikens died May 15, 2011.^[1] He was 93.

Professional associations, civic and other activities

• Director of the Detroit Bar Association in (1962–1967), president 1967
• Member of the American Bar Association
• Trustee to the Detroit Bar Association Foundation
• State Bar of Michigan Commissioner (1965–1971)
• Member of Fellow American College of Trial Lawyers
• Director of the Economic Club of Detroit
• Co-Chairman, Michigan Civil Rights Commission, (1964–1968)
• Board of Trustees, New Detroit, Inc. (1968–1970)
• Board of Trustees, Calvin College (1968–1974)
• University of Michigan Club
• Committee of Visitors, University of Michigan Law School
• Director, Economic Club of Detroit

References

• John Feikens at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a public domain publication of the Federal Judicial Center.
• The Political Graveyard
• John Feikens biography at the Eastern District of Michigan