Introduction
William Joseph Bauer (born September 15, 1926) is a Senior Judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit in Chicago.
Biography
Bauer was born in Chicago, Illinois before moving with his family to Elmhurst. After serving in the U.S. Army (1945–1947), he received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Elmhurst College (1949), and a J.D. degree from DePaul University College of Law (1952). Early in his career, he served as an Assistant State's Attorney in DuPage County, Illinois, eventually becoming First Assistant State's Attorney, and then State's Attorney in 1959. He began his judicial career in 1964, on the Circuit Court for the 18th Judicial Circuit in DuPage County, from 1964 to 1970.
After serving for a year as the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, he was nominated by President Richard Nixon on 14 September 1971 to a seat on the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois which was being vacated by Joseph Samuel Perry. Bauer was confirmed by the United States Senate on 8 November 1971, and received his commission two days later. On 11 December 1974, Gerald Ford nominated Bauer to a seat on the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit vacated by Otto Kerner, Jr.. Bauer was confirmed by the Senate on 19 December 1974, receiving his commission the following day. He served as chief judge from 1986 to 1993, and assumed senior status on 31 October 1994.
Personal life
Bauer married Mary Nicol (1927-2006) (Mike to all who knew her) in 1950, and they had two daughters, Pat and Linda, and one granddaughter Sidonie. He later married Patricia Spratt in 2011. Bauer was inducted as a Laureate of The Lincoln Academy of Illinois and awarded the Order of Lincoln (the State’s highest honor) by the Governor of Illinois in 2010 in the area of Government & Law.