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Barron Patterson McCune
Barron Patterson McCune (February 19, 1915 – September 10, 2008) was a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania. Education and careerMcCune was born in West Newton, Pennsylvania, in 1915 and attended Washington & Jefferson College in Washington, Pennsylvania.[1] As a student, he submitted jokes told by history professor Dr. Alfred Sweet to Judge magazine, splitting the $2 check from the publication.[1] He was a member of Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity, as well as the Buskin Club, a theater organization.[2] McCune received an Artium Baccalaureus degree from Washington & Jefferson College in 1935.[1] As McCune then took a job with Firestone Tire and Rubber Company in Akron, Ohio, his father encouraged him to study law.[1] He entered University of Pennsylvania Law School and earned a Bachelor of Laws in 1938.[3] After graduation, he rejected a job offer in Philadelphia, but he felt that the $1,800 salary wasn't enough to live on.[4] He returned to Washington in 1939 to work in his own private practice, serving in the United States Naval Reserve as a gunnery officer from 1942 to 1948.[3][5] In 1964, he became a judge of the Court of Common Pleas in Washington County, Pennsylvania.[3] Federal judicial serviceMcCune was nominated by President Richard Nixon on December 8, 1970, to the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania, to a new seat authorized by 84 Stat. 294. He was confirmed by the United States Senate on December 16, 1970, and received his commission on December 18, 1970.[3] He assumed senior status on April 1, 1985, and took inactive senior status in 1995.[5] His service terminated on September 10, 2008, due to his death.[3] Notable casesDuring McCune's tenure on the court, he heard a wide variety of cases, including a case involving cocaine trafficking in Major League Baseball and an insurance law case determining whether certain women with breast cancer had insurance coverage for bone marrow transplants.[1] He held in favor of Allegheny County in a challenge by the American Civil Liberties Union to a display of the Nativity scene at the Allegheny County Courthouse.[6][nb 1] Other serviceMcCune was active with his alma mater, Washington & Jefferson College, serving on the board of trustees for 40 years, including a time as president of the board from 1976 to 1983.[5] He was an avid fan of the Washington & Jefferson football team, attending every home game until the age of 92.[1] PersonalMcCune was married to his wife, Edna Markey, from 1943 until her death in 1999.[6] They had three sons.[5] He was a member of the Church of the Covenant.[1] He was known for being a large man, standing 6 feet 4 inches and weighing 215 pounds, and his judicial demeanor was marked by his "one-liners, an imposing demeanor, and a penchant for cigars."[6] He died on September 10, 2008, in Washington, Pennsylvania.[3]
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