Main content

Oldest-Serving Federal Judge, Tennis Hall of Famer, Dies at 99

Senior District Judge Robert J. Kelleher, at 99, the oldest-serving federal judge in the nation, died on June 20, 2012. 

Kelleher was nominated as a U.S. district judge for the Central District of California and received his commission in 1970. He assumed senior status in 1983. In 2000 he was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame, honoring his competitive career in tennis, his leadership in the U.S. Tennis Federation and all he did to make open tennis a reality.

In honor of Kelleher, the flags outside the courthouses of the United States District Court for the Central District of California will be flown at half-staff. Read more about Kelleher at the court’s website.