William Henry Hastie was the first African American to be appointed to the United States Court of Appeals. He was appointed by Franklin D. Roosevelt himself.
Hastie was born on November 17, 1904, in Knoxville, Tennessee, but by 1925, he had already graduated from Amherst College. Five years later, he graduated from Harvard Law School with a Bachelor of Laws and a Doctor of Juridical Science.
Hastie served as an Assistant Solicitor for the Department of the Interior from 1933 to 1937, advising the agency on racial issues. In 1937, President Franklin D. Roosevelt appointed Hastie to the District Court of the Virgin Islands, making him America’s first Black federal judge.
Hastie also worked as a teacher. He was appointed Dean of Howard University’s School of Law in 1939. One of his students was Thurgood Marshall, with whom he worked as a co-lead lawyer in the Smith V. Allwright voting rights case.
From 1940 to 1942, Hastie worked alongside Dean as Civilian Aid to Secretary of War Henry L. Stimson. Hastie advocated for racial integration in the military. However, in 1942, he resigned in protest when the United States Army established a separate air training facility for African Americans.
Hastie received the Spingarn Medal in 1943 for his immense contribution to the Black community. He was a trustee of Amherst College and Temple University, and he received honorary degrees from several colleges and universities.
Sadly, Hastie died on April 14, 1976, at the age of 71.
