Judge Matthew J. Perry, Jr., Senior U.S. District Judge for the District of South Carolina, will receive an Honorary Doctorate of Laws degree at Benedict College’s 139th Commencement Convocation. The commencement ceremony will begin at 9 a.m. on Saturday, May 10, 2008, at the Charlie W. Johnson Stadium located between Two Notch Road and Read Street, Columbia, South Carolina.

In 1975, Judge Matthew J. Perry, Jr. was nominated by President Gerald Ford and unanimously confirmed by the U.S. Senate as a judge on the U.S. Court of Military Appeals in Washington, D.C. In 1979, he was nominated by President Jimmy Carter and unanimously confirmed by the Senate as a U.S. District Judge for the District of South Carolina. He became the district’s senior judge in 1995.

A native of Columbia, SC, Judge Perry received his bachelor’s and law degrees from South Carolina State College (now South Carolina State University).

He is a member of the American Bar Association; Association of Trial Lawyers of America; Federal Judges Association; Fourth Circuit Judicial Conference; Richland County Bar Association; S.C. Bar Association; S.C. Trial Lawyers Association; American Board of Trial Advocates; and an honorary member of the Federal Bar Association. He is an active member of Zion Baptist Church in Columbia, SC.

Judge Perry is a recipient of the William R. Ming Advocacy Award presented by the NAACP. He also was given the Distinguished Alumnus Award twice by South Carolina State University in 1972 and 1980. He was named South Carolinian of the Year in 1977 by Cosmos Broadcasting Co., presented the Order of the Palmetto by Gov. Richard Riley in 1986, received the Spirit of Excellence Award by the American Bar Association Commission on Opportunities for Minorities in 1998, and The Thurgood Marshall Award from the American Bar Association in 2007. He holds honorary degrees from Princeton University; South Carolina State University; the University of South Carolina; Voorhees College; Claflin University; The Citadel; Francis Marion College; Clemson University; Presbyterian College; and Lander University.

A veteran of the U.S. Army, Judge Perry is married to the former Hallie Bacote of Timmonsville, and they have one son.

You must be logged in to comment.