Carolyn Dineen King

KING, CAROLYN DINEEN (1938-). Carolyn Dineen King (née Carolyn Bareham Dineen) was born January 30, 1938 in Syracuse, New York, to Robert E. Dineen and Carolyn Bareham Dineen. She moved, along with her family, to Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1950. She received her B.A. degree from Smith College, summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa in 1959 and her L.L.B. degree from Yale Law School in 1962. Following her graduation from law school, Judge King moved to Houston where she was engaged in the private practice of law, principally with Fulbright & Jaworski, until 1979, focusing primarily on corporate and federal securities law. She was appointed by President Jimmy Carter to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in 1979. Judge King was the Chief Judge of the Fifth Circuit from January 1999 through January 2006. Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist appointed Judge King to be a member of the Executive Committee of the Judicial Conference of the United States, which governs the federal court system, in 2000 and to chair that Committee from 2002 through 2005.

Judge King was active in many human services, educational and health-related organizations in Houston, serving as a Trustee and member of the Executive Committee of the United Way; as Chair of the Board of Directors of the University of St. Thomas; and as Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees of Baylor College of Medicine. Judge King was a recipient of the Smith College Medal, the American Bar Association=s Margaret Brent Award, and the federal judiciary=s highest award, the 2007 Edward J. Devitt Distinguished Service to Justice Award. She was awarded honorary degrees from Syracuse University and the University of St. Thomas.

Judge King married fellow Circuit Judge Thomas M. Reavley in 2004. She had three sons (from a prior marriage to James D. Randall) and two granddaughters.