Iowa federal judge celebrates 50 years on the bench

U.S. District Senior Judge Edward McManus, 92, celebrating 50 years on the federal bench in Iowa, is the second longest-serving active district judge in the country.

McManus was appointed in July 1962 by President John F. Kennedy and was the first native Iowan, growing up in Keokuk, to take the bench in the Northern District. He was the chief judge from 1962 to July 13, 1985, then took senior status July 16, 1985.

He graduated from the University of Iowa in 1940 and received his law degree in 1942 before enlisting in the US Naval Air Corps as a seaman 2nd class. He served for four years and joined his father Edward W. and his brother Neil E. McManus in 1946 at their firm in Keokuk. Later his younger brother Richard joined the firm.

McManus also served in the Iowa Senate in 1954, was elected as lieutenant governor in 1958 and ran as Democratic candidate for governor in 1960 but lost in the general election.

TIMELINE of McManus' career (story continues below timeline):

Here's what Judge McManus said Monday about his time on the bench:

Q. What was President John F. Kennedy like? Did you have an opportunity to talk with him on several occasions?

A. "He was a pleasant companion. A very witty and bright person, good sense of humor. I first got to know him in 1956 when I was a delegate at the Democratic convention in Chicago. And then later as I ran for senate and governor. When I ran for governor and he was running for president, he asked to have breakfast with me at his townhouse in Georgetown. I remember (his daughter) Caroline was there. She was a just a tot at that time and his wife Jackie were standing up at the top of the stairs but he introduced us. He wanted to talk to me about us both being Catholic and how it would affect our run. I didn't think it would.

"I remember he had this Pontiac convertible and afterwards he drove me over to another meeting. We spent about one and a half hours together. I had a chance to visit quite a bit with him."

Q. How did you become interested in law?

A. "I was born into a family of lawyers. My father was a lawyer, my two brothers. My sister married a lawyer. My one son, David, is a lawyer in Cedar Rapids and I have two step sons who are lawyers. What do they call that when journalist go over and cover the military in combat? Embedded journalists. I was embedded with lawyers."

Q. What did you do in Navy?

A. "I enlisted on St. Patrick's Day in 1942 after graduating from law school. I was with a group of others from the University of Iowa and they called us the 'Flying Hawkeyes,' when we started flight training. Later,  I was a flight instructor and flew PBY Catalinas or  multi-engine sea and land-based aircraft, and was in the Marauder unit.

Q. How did you change the district?

A. "I replaced the only judge in the district and there was only one employee, a deputy clerk. The building wasn't used much and was dusty and musty. My job was to bring all the functions under one roof. Bankruptcy, probation, the marshals were in different areas of the state. I brought bankruptcy, probation and appointed a clerk of court to Cedar Rapids. I look out at this big building to the south (pointing out the window to new federal courthouse under construction) and see the fruition of what I hoped to do.

"There was a backlog of over 100 cases when I came and it was the only backlog I've had since. See that log, they gave that to me on my 50th birthday because I never had a "backlog."

Q. What were some important cases you presided over?

A. "Every case is important to the litigants but I guess one would be Davis v. Synhorst (1963) which resulted in (population based) reapportionment of the Iowa legislature. Another one involved two FBI agents killed at the (Pine Ridge Indian Reservation) in South Dakota. I also sat on some other district court cases outside of Iowa which were high profile. One in Washington D.C. during the riots in the 60s, a fraud case in Florida in the 90s, and several times on the Eighth Circuit (Court of Appeals)."

Q. At 92, are you thinking about retirement?

A. "Why? I enjoy the work. I'm not retiring. I have a secretary and a 'career' law clerk who has been with me for 25 years. I still play golf and got a hole in one at age 90."

The Linn County Bar Association and the Linn County Historical Society is celebrating Judge McManus' 50 years of service this week.