James Benton Parsons (August 13, 1911 – June 19, 1993) was a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. He was the first African American to serve as a judge in a U.S. district court.
James Benton Parsons
Illinois Northern District Court
Chief Judge — U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
Born 1911 in Kansas City, MO
Died 1993 in Chicago, IL
FJC ID: 1844
- Gender
- Male
- Race
- African American
Prior employment
- Judicial Conference of the United StatesMember · 1975–1978
- Superior Court of Cook County [Illinois]Judge · 1960–1961
Northern District of IllinoisAssistant U.S. attorney · 1951–1960- Private practice, Chicago, Illinois1949–1951
- Chicago, IllinoisAssistant corporation counsel · 1949–1951
- U.S. Naval Reserve1942–1945
Appointments
1961–1993 · Appointed by John F. Kennedy (Democratic)Term ended: Death
Education
J.D. · 1949- University of ChicagoM.A. · 1946
- Millikin UniversityB.A. · 1934