Representative Richard Meloan Duncan

Richard Meloan Duncan (November 10, 1889 – August 1, 1974) was a United States Representative from Missouri and later a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri and the United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri. A member of the Democratic Party, he served five consecutive terms in the United States House of Representatives from 1933 to 1943 and subsequently held long tenure on the federal bench, including service as Chief Judge of the Western District of Missouri.

Duncan was born on November 10, 1889, in St. Joseph, Missouri, near Edgerton, Missouri. He attended the public schools of the area and pursued higher education at Christian Brothers College in St. Joseph, from which he graduated in 1909. After completing his formal schooling, he entered public service at a relatively young age while simultaneously preparing for a legal career.

From 1911 to 1917, Duncan served as deputy circuit clerk of Buchanan County, Missouri. During this period he read law, a common method of legal training at the time, and was admitted to the bar in 1916. Following his admission, he entered private practice in St. Joseph in 1917 and continued in that capacity until 1926. He then served as city counselor to the city of St. Joseph from 1926 to 1930, further establishing his reputation in municipal and local legal affairs.

Duncan’s growing prominence within the Democratic Party was reflected in his role as a delegate to the 1932 Democratic National Convention, held during the depths of the Great Depression and preceding the election of Franklin D. Roosevelt. In the same political climate, he was elected as a Democrat to the United States House of Representatives, winning a seat in the 73rd Congress. He was subsequently reelected to the four succeeding Congresses, serving from March 4, 1933, to January 3, 1943. His decade in the House coincided with a significant period in American history marked by the New Deal and the onset of World War II. As a Representative from Missouri, he participated in the legislative process and represented the interests of his constituents, contributing to national policymaking during a time of economic crisis and global conflict. During the 77th Congress, he served as Chairman of the Democratic Caucus, reflecting his standing within the House Democratic leadership. He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1942 to the 78th Congress, bringing his congressional service to a close in early 1943.

Following his departure from Congress, Duncan was appointed to the federal judiciary. On July 8, 1943, President Franklin D. Roosevelt nominated him to a new joint seat on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri and the United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri, a position created by statute (56 Stat. 1083). The United States Senate confirmed his nomination on the same day, July 8, 1943, and he received his commission on July 14, 1943. In this dual-district capacity, he presided over a broad range of federal civil and criminal matters in Missouri during and after World War II.

Duncan’s judicial career extended over three decades. He served as Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri from 1954 to 1959, overseeing administrative functions of the court in addition to his regular judicial duties. On May 31, 1965, he assumed senior status, continuing to hear cases with a reduced caseload while allowing for the appointment of a successor. He remained in senior status and continued his judicial service until his death.

Richard Meloan Duncan died on August 1, 1974, in Kansas City, Missouri, where he resided during his later years. He was interred in Memorial Park Cemetery in St. Joseph, Missouri. His career encompassed local government service, a decade in the United States Congress during a transformative era, and a lengthy tenure on the federal bench, including leadership as Chief Judge in the Western District of Missouri.