Representative Gregory Wright Carman

Gregory Wright Carman (January 31, 1937 – April 5, 2020) was a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from New York and later a judge, and ultimately senior judge, of the United States Court of International Trade. Over the course of his career, he combined military legal service, local government experience, a term in Congress, and more than three decades on the federal bench.

Carman was born on January 31, 1937, in Farmingdale, New York. He was educated at St. Lawrence University, where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1958. He then pursued legal studies at St. John’s University School of Law in New York, earning his Juris Doctor in 1962. In preparation for military legal service, he also attended The Judge Advocate General’s School (The JAG School) at the University of Virginia, receiving specialized training in military law.

Upon completion of his initial legal education and JAG training, Carman entered the United States Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps. He served in the Army JAG Corps from 1958 until 1964, gaining experience in military justice and legal administration during a period that spanned the late 1950s and early 1960s. While completing his military service, he also began to establish himself in civilian legal practice, reflecting an early blend of public and private legal work.

Carman entered private practice in his hometown of Farmingdale, New York, in 1961 and continued in that capacity until 1983. His law practice, rooted in the local community, coincided with growing involvement in municipal affairs. From 1972 until 1981, he served as a member of the Town Board of Oyster Bay, New York. In that role, he participated in local governance and policymaking, building a public profile that would later support his candidacy for federal office.

In 1980, Carman was elected as a Republican to the 97th United States Congress, defeating incumbent Democrat Jerome Ambro. He represented New York’s 3rd congressional district in the United States House of Representatives from January 3, 1981, until January 3, 1983. His single term in Congress occurred during a significant period in American history, early in the administration of President Ronald Reagan. As a member of the House of Representatives, Gregory Wright Carman contributed to the legislative process, participated in the democratic deliberations of the chamber, and represented the interests of his Long Island constituents. He was not a candidate for re-election to the 98th United States Congress, concluding his congressional service after one term.

Following his departure from Congress, Carman transitioned to the federal judiciary. On January 31, 1983, President Ronald Reagan nominated him to serve as a judge of the United States Court of International Trade, to the seat vacated by Judge Scovel Richardson. The United States Senate confirmed his nomination on March 2, 1983, and he received his commission the same day. As a judge of the Court of International Trade, Carman presided over cases involving customs law, international trade disputes, and related federal matters, playing a key role in the interpretation and application of U.S. trade statutes.

Carman’s judicial career advanced further when he became Chief Judge of the United States Court of International Trade, a position he held from 1996 until 2003. In that capacity, he oversaw the administration of the court and guided its work during a period marked by increasing globalization and complex trade issues. After more than three decades of service on the court, he assumed senior status on September 15, 2014, continuing to hear cases with a reduced workload as a senior United States judge of the Court of International Trade.

Gregory Wright Carman died in Melville, New York, on April 5, 2020. His career reflected sustained service at multiple levels of government—local, legislative, and judicial—and spanned from his early years in the Army JAG Corps through his tenure as a senior federal judge.