William Bostwick Sheppard (October 4, 1860 – April 21, 1934) 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 Bristol, Florida

Bristol, Florida

Bristol is a city in and the county seat of Liberty County, Florida, United States. The population was 845 at the 2000 census; in 2005, the population according to U.S Census estimates was 910. Two schools are based in Bristol: Liberty County High School and W. R. Tolar Elementary and Middle...

, Sheppard attended the University of North Carolina

University of North Carolina

Chartered in 1789, the University of North Carolina was one of the first public universities in the United States and the only one to graduate students in the eighteenth century...

 and read law to enter the bar in 1891. He was an unsuccessful candidate for Florida State Senate in 1888. He was a collector of customs at Apalachicola, Florida

Apalachicola, Florida

Apalachicola is a city in Franklin County, Florida, on US 98 about southwest of Tallahassee. The population was 2,334 at the 2000 census. The 2005 census estimated the city's population at 2,340...

 from 1889 to 1894 and from 1897 to 1901. He was in private practice in Apalachicola from 1891 to 1903, serving as mayor of Apalachicola in 1894. He was an unsuccessful candidate for state attorney general of Florida in 1896. He was the United States Attorney

United 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...

 for the Northern District of Florida from 1903 to 1907.

On September 4, 1907, Sheppard 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 President Theodore Roosevelt

Theodore Roosevelt

Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt was the 26th President of the United States . He is noted for his exuberant personality, range of interests and achievements, and his leadership of the Progressive Movement, as well as his "cowboy" persona and robust masculinity...

 to a seat on the United States District Court for the Northern District of Florida

United States District Court for the Northern District of Florida

The United States District Court for the Northern District of Florida is the federal United States district court with jurisdiction over the northern part of the state of Florida....

 vacated by Charles Swayne

Charles Swayne

Charles H. Swayne was a United States federal judge who prevailed over an impeachment effort.Born in Guyencourt, Delaware, Swayne received an LL.B. from the University of Pennsylvania in 1871. He was in private practice in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from 1871 to 1885, and in Pensacola, Florida,...

. Formally nominated on December 3, 1907, Sheppard 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 May 20, 1908, and received his commission the same day. Sheppard served in that capacity until his death, in 1934.

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