Hon. Harlan W. Rippey

Dates of Service: 1934-1936
Born September 8, 1874, in Greigsville, NY
Died March 11, 1946

Federal Judicial Service: 

Judge, U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York 

Nominated by Franklin D. Roosevelt on June 9, 1934, to a seat vacated by Simon L. Adler. Confirmed by the Senate on June 14, 1934, and received commission on June 18, 1934. Service terminated on December 31, 1936, due to resignation. 

Education: 

University of Rochester, A.B., 1898
University of Rochester, A.M., 1899

Professional Career: 

Private Practice, Rochester, New York, 1901-1913
Inheritance Tax Appraiser, Monroe County, 1913-1915
Inheritance Tax Attorney, Monroe County, 1922-1927
Justice, Supreme Court of the State of New York, Seventh Judicial District, 1927
Liquidation Attorney, New York State Superintendent of Banks and U.S. Comptroller, 1930-1934
Associate Judge, New York State Court of Appeals, 1937-1946 

Noteworthy Cases and Other Information 

(written by Hon. John T. Curtin)¹

Although Judge Rippey had a distinguished career, he served in the Western District for only two years before leaving the federal bench to become an Associate Judge of the New York State Court of Appeals. He remained there until 1944, when he retired at age 70. 

¹Judge Curtin’s text is taken with modest modifications from his history of the Western District delivered on April 22, 1986, as part of the Second Circuit’s History Lectures. As Judge Curtin noted, the bulk of the information concerning Judge Rippey comes from newspaper articles, including an obituary: Rippey Rites Scheduled on Saturday, Democrat and Chronicle, Mar. 13, 1946, at 15.