William Augustus Bootle
Encyclopedia
William Augustus Bootle (August 19, 1902 – January 25, 2005) was an American attorney
and jurist
noted for helping oversee desegregation
in the Southern United States
.
. He and his family move to Nashville
, Georgia
in 1917 and to Reidsville
about six months later. However, he spent most of his life in Macon
, where he was a longtime member of the First Baptist Church of Macon. He graduated from Mercer University
with an Bachelor of Arts
in 1924 and from the Walter F. George School of Law
at Mercer University with a Bachelor of Laws
in 1925. There he was a member of Phi Delta Theta
.
by President
Calvin Coolidge
, serving at this post for two years. From 1929 to 1933 he was the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. During the same period, Bootle was a part-time professor at Mercer University (1926-1937) and later acting dean (1933-1937).
From 1933 to 1954, Bootle resumed private practice in Macon. On May 3, 1954, President Dwight D. Eisenhower
nominated him to the United States District Court for the Middle District of Georgia
to the seat vacated by Abraham B. Conger.
Bootle was confirmed by the U.S. Senate
on May 18 and was commissioned
on May 20. Bootle served as chief judge of the court from 1961 onward. On March 11, 1972, he took senior status and continued to hear cases part-time until 1981. Bootle ordered the first admission of an African-American to the University of Georgia
in 1961 (Hamilton E. Holmes
and Charlayne Hunter
).
In 1982, Bootle was awarded an honorary
Doctor of Laws degree from Mercer University.
The federal building and courthouse
at Macon, Georgia was renamed the William Augustus Bootle Federal Building and United States Courthouse
in June 1998.
Law of the United States
The law of the United States consists of many levels of codified and uncodified forms of law, of which the most important is the United States Constitution, the foundation of the federal government of the United States...
and jurist
United States federal courts
The United States federal courts make up the judiciary branch of federal government of the United States organized under the United States Constitution and laws of the federal government.-Categories:...
noted for helping oversee desegregation
Desegregation
Desegregation is the process of ending the separation of two groups usually referring to races. This is most commonly used in reference to the United States. Desegregation was long a focus of the American Civil Rights Movement, both before and after the United States Supreme Court's decision in...
in the Southern United States
Southern United States
The Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive area in the southeastern and south-central United States...
.
Early life and education
Bootle was born in Walterboro, South CarolinaWalterboro, South Carolina
Walterboro is a city in Colleton County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 5,153 at the 2000 census . It is the county seat of Colleton County.-History:...
. He and his family move to Nashville
Nashville, Georgia
Nashville is a city in Berrien County, Georgia, United States. The population was 4,697 at the 2000 census. The city is the county seat of Berrien County...
, Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
in 1917 and to Reidsville
Reidsville, Georgia
Reidsville is a city in Tattnall County, Georgia, United States. The population was 2,235 at the 2000 census. The city is the county seat of Tattnall County...
about six months later. However, he spent most of his life in Macon
Macon, Georgia
Macon is a city located in central Georgia, US. Founded at the fall line of the Ocmulgee River, it is part of the Macon metropolitan area, and the county seat of Bibb County. A small portion of the city extends into Jones County. Macon is the biggest city in central Georgia...
, where he was a longtime member of the First Baptist Church of Macon. He graduated from Mercer University
Mercer University
Mercer University is an independent, private, coeducational university with a Baptist heritage located in the U.S. state of Georgia. Mercer is the only university of its size in the United States that offers programs in eleven diversified fields of study: liberal arts, business, education, music,...
with an Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in 1924 and from the Walter F. George School of Law
Walter F. George School of Law
The Walter F. George School of Law of Mercer University, founded in 1873, is one of the oldest law schools in the United States and is the second oldest of Mercer's eleven colleges and schools. The School of Law, with approximately 420 students, is located in Macon, Georgia on its own campus one...
at Mercer University with a Bachelor of Laws
Bachelor of Laws
The Bachelor of Laws is an undergraduate, or bachelor, degree in law originating in England and offered in most common law countries as the primary law degree...
in 1925. There he was a member of Phi Delta Theta
Phi Delta Theta
Phi Delta Theta , also known as Phi Delt, is an international fraternity founded at Miami University in 1848 and headquartered in Oxford, Ohio. Phi Delta Theta, Beta Theta Pi, and Sigma Chi form the Miami Triad. The fraternity has about 169 active chapters and colonies in over 43 U.S...
.
Legal and academic career
From 1925 to 1928, Bootle had a private practice in Macon; in 1928 he was appointed Assistant U.S. AttorneyUnited States Attorney
United States Attorneys represent the United States federal government in United States district court and United States court of appeals. There are 93 U.S. Attorneys stationed throughout the United States, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands...
by President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Calvin Coolidge
Calvin Coolidge
John Calvin Coolidge, Jr. was the 30th President of the United States . A Republican lawyer from Vermont, Coolidge worked his way up the ladder of Massachusetts state politics, eventually becoming governor of that state...
, serving at this post for two years. From 1929 to 1933 he was the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. During the same period, Bootle was a part-time professor at Mercer University (1926-1937) and later acting dean (1933-1937).
From 1933 to 1954, Bootle resumed private practice in Macon. On May 3, 1954, President Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower was the 34th President of the United States, from 1953 until 1961. He was a five-star general in the United States Army...
nominated him to the United States District Court for the Middle District of Georgia
United States District Court for the Middle District of Georgia
The U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Georgia is a United States District Court which serves the residents of sixty-nine counties from seven divisions from its headquarters in Macon, Georgia....
to the seat vacated by Abraham B. Conger.
Bootle was confirmed by the U.S. 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 May 18 and was commissioned
Letters patent
Letters patent are a type of legal instrument in the form of a published written order issued by a monarch or president, generally granting an office, right, monopoly, title, or status to a person or corporation...
on May 20. Bootle served as chief judge of the court from 1961 onward. On March 11, 1972, he took senior status and continued to hear cases part-time until 1981. Bootle ordered the first admission of an African-American to the University of Georgia
University of Georgia
The University of Georgia is a public research university located in Athens, Georgia, United States. Founded in 1785, it is the oldest and largest of the state's institutions of higher learning and is one of multiple schools to claim the title of the oldest public university in the United States...
in 1961 (Hamilton E. Holmes
Hamilton E. Holmes
Hamilton E. Holmes was an American orthopedic physician. He and Charlayne Hunter-Gault were the first two African-American students admitted to the University of Georgia. Additionally, Holmes was the first African-American student to attend the Emory University School of Medicine, where he...
and Charlayne Hunter
Charlayne Hunter-Gault
Charlayne Hunter-Gault is an American journalist and former foreign correspondent for National Public Radio, and the Public Broadcasting Service....
).
In 1982, Bootle was awarded an honorary
Honorary degree
An honorary degree or a degree honoris causa is an academic degree for which a university has waived the usual requirements, such as matriculation, residence, study, and the passing of examinations...
Doctor of Laws degree from Mercer University.
Death and legacy
Bootle's wife of more than 70 years, Virginia Childs Bootle, died on June 24, 2004. Bootle died at his home in 2005 at the age of 102.The federal building and courthouse
Courthouse
A courthouse is a building that is home to a local court of law and often the regional county government as well, although this is not the case in some larger cities. The term is common in North America. In most other English speaking countries, buildings which house courts of law are simply...
at Macon, Georgia was renamed the William Augustus Bootle Federal Building and United States Courthouse
William Augustus Bootle Federal Building and United States Courthouse
The William Augustus Bootle Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse is a courthouse of the United States District Court for the Middle District of Georgia. Completed in 1908, it initially served as a courthouse of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Georgia, until the...
in June 1998.
Sources
- Phi Delta Theta biography
- SR 604 - A resolution by the Georgia SenateGeorgia SenateThe Georgia State Senate is the upper house of the Georgia General Assembly .-Composition:According to the state constitution of 1983, this body is to be composed of no more than 56 members elected for two-year terms. Current state law provides for 56 members...
"honoring the extraordinary life and career of the Honorable William Augustus Bootle; and for other purposes." - Unsung Foot Soldier Project at the University of Georgia biography
- "Judge Bootle Dies at 102; Funeral Set Saturday" - Mercer University press release
- "Judge who desegregated University of Georgia dies" - MSNBC