James O. Ellison

Who was James O. Ellison?

James Oliver Ellison was a United States federal judge.

Born in St. Louis, Missouri, Ellison received both a B.A. and an LL.B. from the University of Oklahoma in 1951. He was in the United States Army from 1951 to 1953, achieving the rank of Captain. He was in private practice in Red Fork, Oklahoma from 1953 to 1955, and in Tulsa, Oklahoma from 1955 to 1979.

On September 28, 1979, Ellison was nominated by President Jimmy Carter to a seat on the United States District Court for the Northern District of Oklahoma vacated by Allen E. Barrow. Ellison was confirmed by the United States Senate on October 31, 1979, and received his commission on November 2, 1979. He served as chief judge from 1992 to 1994, assuming senior status on November 7, 1994. He died in Tulsa on November 22, 2014, aged 85.