Morris Ames Soper

Morris Ames Soper (January 23, 1873 – March 11, 1963) was a United States circuit judge of the 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.

Education and career

Born in Baltimore, Maryland, Soper received an Artium Baccalaureus degree from Johns Hopkins University in 1893 and a Bachelor of Laws from the 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 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.

Federal judicial service

Soper was nominated by President Warren G. Harding on February 10, 1923, to a seat on the United States District Court for the District of Maryland vacated by Judge John C. Rose. He was confirmed by the 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.

Soper served on the board of trustees of 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.