Emile Henry Lacombe

Emile Henry Lacombe (January 29, 1846 – November 28, 1924) was a United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and of the United States Circuit Courts for the Second Circuit.

Education and career

Born on January 29, 1846, in New York City, New York, Lacombe received an Artium Baccalaureus degree in 1863 from Columbia University and a Bachelor of Laws in 1865 from Columbia Law School.

In 1909, Lacombe reluctantly conferred American citizenship on Bhicaji Balsara, a Parsi thought to be the first Indian to become a United States citizen. Whilst Lacombe conceded that Balsara "appears to be a gentleman of high character and exceptional intelligence". He was reluctant to confer citizenship as he reasoned that there "was much force in the argument that the Congress which framed the original act for naturalization of aliens ...intended it to include only white persons belonging to the races whose emigrants had contributed to the building up on this continent of the community of people which declared itself a new nation". Lacombe only gave Balsara citizenship on the hope that the United States Attorney would indeed challenge his decision and appeal it to create "an authoritative interpretation" of the law. As Lacombe felt if, the definition of 'free white persons' was to be extended ... it... [would] bring in, not only the Parsee... which is probably the purest Aryan type, but also Afghans, Hindoos, Arabs, and Berbers".

The United States Attorney adhered to Lacombe's wishes and took the matter to the Court of Appeals in 1910. The Court of appeal agreed that Parsees belong to the white race and were "as distinct from Hindus as are the English who dwell in India".

Later career and death

Following his retirement from the federal bench, Lacombe resumed private practice in New York City from 1916 to 1924.