# Morris Ames Soper

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American judge

Morris Ames Soper Senior Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit In office June 2, 1955 – March 11, 1963 Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit In office May 6, 1931 – June 2, 1955 Appointed by Herbert Hoover Preceded by Edmund Waddill Jr. Succeeded by Simon Sobeloff Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Maryland In office February 24, 1923 – May 9, 1931 Appointed by Warren G. Harding Preceded by John Carter Rose Succeeded by William Calvin Chesnut President of the Baltimore Board of Police Commissioners[1][2] In office April 4, 1912 – December 31, 1913 Preceded by John B. A. Wheltle Succeeded by James McEvoy Personal details Born Morris Ames Soper (1873-01-23)January 23, 1873 Baltimore, Maryland, US Died March 11, 1963(1963-03-11) (aged 90) Baltimore, Maryland, US Education Johns Hopkins University (AB) University of Maryland School of Law (LLB)

**Morris Ames Soper** (January 23, 1873 – March 11, 1963) was a [United States circuit judge](/source/United_States_federal_judge) of the [United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit](/source/United_States_Court_of_Appeals_for_the_Fourth_Circuit) and previously was a United States district judge of the [United States District Court for the District of Maryland](/source/United_States_District_Court_for_the_District_of_Maryland).

## Education and career

Born in [Baltimore](/source/Baltimore), [Maryland](/source/Maryland), Soper received an [Artium Baccalaureus](/source/Bachelor_of_Arts) degree from [Johns Hopkins University](/source/Johns_Hopkins_University) in 1893 and a [Bachelor of Laws](/source/Bachelor_of_Laws) from the [University of Maryland School of Law](/source/University_of_Maryland_School_of_Law) in 1895. He was an assistant state's attorney of Baltimore City from 1897 to 1899. He was an [Assistant United States Attorney](/source/Assistant_United_States_Attorney) of the District of Maryland from 1900 to 1909. He was in private practice in Maryland from 1909 to 1914. He was President of the Board of Police Commissioners for Baltimore City from 1912 to 1913. He was Chief Judge of the Supreme Bench of Baltimore from 1914 to 1921. He was in private practice in Maryland from 1921 to 1923.[3]

## Federal judicial service

Soper was nominated by President [Warren G. Harding](/source/Warren_G._Harding) on February 10, 1923, to a seat on the [United States District Court for the District of Maryland](/source/United_States_District_Court_for_the_District_of_Maryland) vacated by Judge [John C. Rose](/source/John_C._Rose). He was confirmed by the [United States Senate](/source/United_States_Senate) on February 24, 1923, and received his commission the same day. His service terminated on May 9, 1931, due to his elevation to the Fourth Circuit.[3]

Soper received a [recess appointment](/source/Recess_appointment) from President [Herbert Hoover](/source/Herbert_Hoover) on May 6, 1931, to a seat on the [United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit](/source/United_States_Court_of_Appeals_for_the_Fourth_Circuit) vacated by Judge [Edmund Waddill Jr.](/source/Edmund_Waddill_Jr.) He was nominated to the same position by President Hoover on December 15, 1931. He was confirmed by the Senate on January 12, 1932, and received his commission on January 19, 1932. He assumed [senior status](/source/Senior_status) on June 2, 1955. His service terminated on March 11, 1963, due to his death.[3]

### Notable cases

Beginning in 1955, Soper sat on a 3-judge federal panel which handled various desegregation cases in Virginia. With Chief Judge [Charles Sterling Hutcheson](/source/Charles_Sterling_Hutcheson) of the Eastern District of Virginia and new Eastern District judge [Walter E. Hoffman](/source/Walter_E._Hoffman), Soper heard many desegregation cases arising from the [Byrd Organization](/source/Byrd_Organization)'s declared policy of [Massive Resistance](/source/Massive_Resistance) to racial desegregation. The panel heard the cases ultimately decided by the United States Supreme Court in [Harrison v. NAACP](/source/Harrison_v._NAACP) and [NAACP v. Button](/source/NAACP_v._Button), which concerned attempts to harass [NAACP](/source/NAACP) attorneys (including future Supreme Court justice [Thurgood Marshall](/source/Thurgood_Marshall), 4th Circuit judge [Spottswood Robinson](/source/Spottswood_Robinson) and federal district judge [Robert L. Carter](/source/Robert_L._Carter)) who were bringing the desegregation case.[4]

Soper served on the board of trustees of [Morgan State University](/source/Morgan_State_University) for more than three decades (as its chairman for half that time), and helped bring it within the Maryland state university system. His last judicial act (as a senior judge) was an order allowing an African American, Henry Gantt, to attend the school of architecture at [Clemson University](/source/Clemson_University).[4]

## Death and papers

Soper died age 90 of complications after minor surgery at Baltimore's [Union Memorial Hospital](/source/Union_Memorial_Hospital).[4] Attorney General [Robert F. Kennedy](/source/Robert_F._Kennedy) and Maryland Governor [Theodore McKeldin](/source/Theodore_McKeldin) were among the pall bearers at his funeral.[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*]

Soper's papers were donated to the Maryland Historical Society Library with a 25-year restriction on access, which with a snafu meant archiving did not begin for decades.[5]

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** Society, Baltimore Police Historical. ["Commissioners"](https://web.archive.org/web/20220625141619/https://baltimorepolicemuseum.com/en/our-police/commissioners.html). *baltimorepolicemuseum.com*. Baltimore Police Museum. Archived from [the original](https://baltimorepolicemuseum.com/en/our-police/commissioners.html) on 25 June 2022. Retrieved 30 June 2022.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** ["New Boards In Charge"](https://www.newspapers.com/image/372013747). *Newspapers.com*. The Baltimore Sun. 7 May 1912.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-fjc.gov_3-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-fjc.gov_3-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-fjc.gov_3-2) ["Soper, Morris Ames - Federal Judicial Center"](https://www.fjc.gov/history/judges/soper-morris-ames). *www.fjc.gov*.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-UaG_4-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-UaG_4-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-UaG_4-2) James R. Sweeney, Race, Reason and Massive Resistance: the Diaries of David J. Mays (University of Georgia Press 2008)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** ["Morris A. Soper Papers – Coming Soon! (or 25 years late…) - underbelly"](http://www.mdhs.org/underbelly/2013/06/06/morris-a-soper-papers-coming-soon-or-25-years-late/). *www.mdhs.org*.

## Sources

- ["Soper, Morris Ames - Federal Judicial Center"](https://www.fjc.gov/history/judges/soper-morris-ames). *www.fjc.gov*.

Legal offices Preceded by John Carter Rose Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Maryland 1923–1931 Succeeded by William Calvin Chesnut Preceded by Edmund Waddill Jr. Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit 1931–1955 Succeeded by Simon Sobeloff

v t e Commissioners of the Baltimore Police Department Police Commissioners (1920–present) Charles D. Gaither (1920–37) William P. Lawson (1937–38) Stephen G. Nelson (interim 1938) Robert F. Stanton (1938–43) Hamilton R. Atkinson (1943–49) Beverly Ober (1949–55) Fred L. Ford (interim 1955) James M. Hepbron (1955–61) Bernard Schmidt (1961–66) Donald Pomerleau (1966–81) Frank Battaglia (1981–84) Bishop Robinson (1984–87) Edward J. Tilghman (1987–89) Edward V. Woods (1989–93) Thomas C. Frazier (1994–99) John E. Gavrilis, Elbert Shirley & Robert Smith (interim rotation 1999–2000) Ronald L. Daniel (2000) Edward T. Norris (2000–02) Kevin P. Clark (2002–04) Leonard Hamm (2004–07) Frederick H. Bealefeld III (2007–12) Anthony Batts (2012–15) Kevin Davis (2015–18) Darryl De Sousa (2018) Gary Tuggle (interim 2018–19) Michael S. Harrison (2019–23) Richard Worley (2023–present) Presidents of the Board of Police Commissioners (1850–1920) Charles Howard (1850–61) Nicholas L. Wood (1862–64) Samuel Hindes (1864–66) James Young (1866–67) LeFevre Jarrett (1867–70) John W. Davis (1870–71) William H. B. Fusselbaugh(1871–81) George Colton (1881–87) Edson M. Schryver (1888–97) Daniel C. Heddinger (1897–1900) George M. Upshur (1900–1904) George R. Willis (1904–08) Sherlock Swann (1908–10) John B. A. Wheltle (1910–12) Morris Ames Soper (1912–13) James McEvoy (1913–14) Daniel C. Ammidon (1914–16) Lawrason Riggs (1916–20) Other members of the Board of Police Commissioners (1850–1920) select list Thomas Kelso

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Morris Ames Soper](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morris_Ames_Soper) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morris_Ames_Soper?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.