Frederick Moore Vinson, Chief Justice

The United States Supreme Court

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Photos and biography from the collection of Jeff Dixon (nephew of Frederick Moore Vinson and his wife, Roberta Dixon Vinson). Used by permission.

           Click on the photos for larger versions.

Frederick Moore Vinson and Mrs. Vinson, & the Vinson tombstone in Pine Hill Cemetery, Louisa.

 

Frederick Moore Vinson, son of James and Virginia (Ferguson) Vinson, was born on 22 January 1890 in the Louisa jail (His father was the jailer!).   Fred married Roberta Dixon, daughter of Robert P. and Marcella (Borders) Dixon (b. 25 Jan 1898, d. Nov 1983), on 24 January 1923.   They had two sons, Frederick Moore Vinson, Jr. (b. 3 April 1925, d. 22 Nov 1982), and James Robert Vinson (b. 1 Sept 1929, d. 4 Oct 1978).

Fred graduated from Kentucky Normal College (in Louisa) in 1908 and from Centre College (in Danville) in 1909.   He then studied two years at Centre Law School.   In 1911, Fred began practicing law in Louisa.  By 1915,  he was Louisa's city attorney.  In 1918, he entered the U .S. Army, as a private for service, in World War I.  He was attending Officer Training School at Camp Pike AR., when the Armistice was declared.

Fred was elected Commonwealth Attorney, for the 32cd District of Kentucky, in 1921.   He was a member of the U. S. House of Representatives from 1925 to 1928 and 1931 to 1938.  In December 1937, President F. D. Roosevelt appointed Vinson to Associate Justice of the United States Circuit Court of Appeal, for the District of Columbia.  In 1943, President Roosevelt appointed him as Director of Economic Stabilization.  In 1945, President Roosevelt nominated Fred for Federal Loan Administration with the wholehearted approval of the House of Representatives and unanimous approval of the U.S. Senate. Less than a month later, Roosevelt named Vinson, War Mobilization and Reconversion Director, again with unanimous Senate approval.

President Harry S. Truman appointed Fred Vinson to The Secretary of the Treasury in July 1945, and he was again unanimously confirmed by the Senate.  On June 6, 1946, President Truman nominated Vinson Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court. Two weeks later, the U.S. Senate unanimously confirmed.

Chief Justice Vinson died on September 8, 1953 (Photo of Headstone). He is buried in the Pine Cemetery and was survived by seven grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.