Putnam was nominated by President
John F. Kennedy on September 5, 1961, to the
United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana, to a new seat created by 75 Stat. 80. He was confirmed by the
United States Senate on September 14, 1961, and received his commission on September 18, 1961. He assumed
senior status due to a certified disability on December 19, 1975. Putnam served in that capacity until his death on December 16, 2002, in Abbeville. ==References==