Parents Herman Clarence Nixon | Name John Nixon Spouse(s) Betty C. Nixon Children Mignon Nixon | |
Preceded by Thomas Anderton Wiseman Jr. Preceded by Seat established on October 20, 1978 by 92 Stat. 1629 Alma mater Harvard UniversityVanderbilt University Law School Education Harvard University, Vanderbilt University Law School | ||
John Trice Nixon (born January 9, 1933) is a Senior United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee.
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Early life
John Trice Nixon was born on January 9, 1933 in New Orleans, Louisiana. His father, Herman Clarence Nixon, was a political scientist at Vanderbilt University and a member of the Southern Agrarians.
Nixon graduated from Harvard University, where he received a bachelor of arts degree in 1955/ He served in the United States Army in 1958. He earned an LL.B. from the Vanderbilt University Law School in 1960.
Career
Nixon was in private practice as a lawyer in Anniston, Alabama from 1960 to 1962. He served as a City attorney of Anniston, Alabama from 1962 to 1964. He was a Trial attorney of Civil Rights Division, U.S. Department of Justice from 1964 to 1969. He returned to private practice from 1969 to 1971. He then served as a Staff attorney of Office of the State Comptroller, Tennessee from 1971 to 1976.
Moving to Nashville, Tennessee in 1976, he practised the law there until 1977. He then served as a judge on the Circuit Court of Tennessee from 1977 to 1978, and as a judge on the Tennessee Court of General Sessions from 1978 to 1980.
Nixon is a federal judge on the United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee. He was nominated by President Jimmy Carter on February 27, 1980, to a new seat created by 92 Stat. 1629. He was confirmed by the United States Senate on May 9, 1980, and received his commission on May 12, 1980. He then served as chief judge from 1991 to 1998, and assumed senior status on August 15, 1998.
Personal life
He married Betty C. Nixon. They had a daughter, Mignon Nixon, who is a Professor at University College London (UCL) in London.