Richard Joseph Hopkins was a United States federal judge

United States federal judge

In the United States, the title of federal judge usually means a judge appointed by the President of the United States and confirmed by the United States Senate in accordance with Article II of the United States Constitution....

.

Born in Jefferson City, Missouri

Jefferson City, Missouri

Jefferson City is the capital of the U.S. state of Missouri and the county seat of Cole County. Located in Callaway and Cole counties, it is the principal city of the Jefferson City metropolitan area, which encompasses the entirety of both counties. As of the 2010 census, the population was 43,079...

, Hopkins received an LL.B. from Northwestern University School of Law

Northwestern University School of Law

The Northwestern University School of Law is a private American law school in Chicago, Illinois. The law school was founded in 1859 as the Union College of Law of the Old University of Chicago. The first law school established in Chicago, it became jointly controlled by Northwestern University in...

 in 1901. He was in private practice in Chicago, Illinois from 1901 to 1906. He was in private practice in Garden City, Kansas

Garden City, Kansas

Garden City is a city in and the county seat of Finney County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 26,658. The city is home to Garden City Community College and the Lee Richardson Zoo, the largest zoological park in western Kansas.-History:In February 1878, James...

 from 1906 to 1913. He was a member of the Kansas House of Representatives in 1909. He was a State lieutenant governor, Kansas from 1911 to 1912. He was a City attorney of Garden City, Kansas from 1913 to 1918. He was the state attorney general of Kansas

Kansas Attorney General

The Attorney General of Kansas is a statewide elected official responsible for providing legal services to the state government of Kansas.-Divisions:* Criminal Justice* Civil Litigation* Consumer Protection* Concealed Carry...

 from 1919 to 1923. He was an Associate justice of the Supreme Court of Kansas from 1923 to 1929.

Hopkins was a federal judge on the United States District Court for the District of Kansas

United States District Court for the District of Kansas

The United States District Court for the District of Kansas is the federal district court whose jurisdiction is the state of Kansas. The Court operates out of the Robert J. Dole United States Courthouse in Kansas City, the Frank Carlson Federal Building in Topeka, and the United States Courthouse...

. Hopkins was nominated by President Herbert Hoover

Herbert Hoover

Herbert Clark Hoover was the 31st President of the United States . Hoover was originally a professional mining engineer and author. As the United States Secretary of Commerce in the 1920s under Presidents Warren Harding and Calvin Coolidge, he promoted partnerships between government and business...

 on October 17, 1929, to a seat vacated by George T. McDermott. He was confirmed by the United States Senate

United States Senate

The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...

 on December 19, 1929, and received his commission the same day. Hopkins served in that capacity until August 28, 1943, due to his death.

Sources