William Alexander Cant 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 Westfield, Marquette County, Wisconsin

Westfield, Marquette County, Wisconsin

Westfield is a town located in Marquette County, Wisconsin. As of the 2000 census, the town had a total population of 689. The Village of Westfield is located mostly within the town...

, Cant received an LL.B. from the University of Michigan

University of Michigan

The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...

 in 1885. He was in private practice in Duluth, Minnesota

Duluth, Minnesota

Duluth is a port city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and is the county seat of Saint Louis County. The fourth largest city in Minnesota, Duluth had a total population of 86,265 in the 2010 census. Duluth is also the second largest city that is located on Lake Superior after Thunder Bay, Ontario,...

 from 1886 to 1895. He was a member of the Minnesota House of Representatives

Minnesota House of Representatives

The Minnesota House of Representatives is the lower house in the Minnesota State Legislature. There are 134 members elected to two-year terms, twice the number of members in the Minnesota Senate. Each senate district is divided in half and given the suffix A or B...

 in 1895, and was city attorney of Duluth from 1895 to 1896. He was a state court judge on the District Court of Minnesota from 1896 to 1923.

On May 21, 1923, Cant received a recess appointment

Recess appointment

A recess appointment is the appointment, by the President of the United States, of a senior federal official while the U.S. Senate is in recess. The U.S. Constitution requires that the most senior federal officers must be confirmed by the Senate before assuming office, but while the Senate is in...

 from Warren G. Harding to a seat on the United States District Court for the District of Minnesota

United States District Court for the District of Minnesota

The United States District Court for the District of Minnesota is the Federal district court whose jurisdiction is the state of Minnesota. Its two primary courthouses are in Minneapolis and Saint Paul...

 vacated by Page Morris

Page Morris

Page Morris was a United States federal judge.Born in Lynchburg, Virginia, Morris attended the College of William and Mary and graduated from Virginia Military Institute in 1872. He read law to enter the bar in 1880. He was an Assistant professor of mathematics, Virginia Military Institute from...

. Formally nominated on December 15, 1923, Cant 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 January 15, 1924, and received his commission the same day. Cant served in that capacity until his death, in 1933.

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