The
United States District Court for the District of Tennessee was established with one judgeship on January 31, 1797, by . The judgeship was filled by President
George Washington's appointment of
John McNairy. Since Congress failed to assign the district to a circuit, the court had the jurisdiction of both a district court and a circuit court. Appeals from this one district court went directly to the United States Supreme Court. On February 13, 1801, in the famous "
Midnight Judges" Act of 1801, , Congress abolished the U.S. district court in Tennessee, The repeal of this Act restored the District on March 8, 1802, . Again, only one judgeship was allotted for all three districts. On July 15, 1862, Congress reassigned appellate jurisdiction to the Sixth Circuit. Finally, on June 14, 1878, Congress authorized a separate judgeship for the Western District of Tennessee, at which time President
Rutherford B. Hayes appointed
David M. Key as judge for the Eastern and Middle Districts of Tennessee. The first judge to serve only the Middle District of Tennessee was
John J. Gore, appointed by
Warren G. Harding. == Current judges ==