Photographs: Judge Thomas Tang Papers, 1946-1995

Judge Thomas Tang was born January 11, 1922 in Phoenix, Arizona. In 1950, he obtained his Juris Doctor Degree with High Distinction from the College of Law at the University of Arizona. He went onto work as a deputy county prosecutor for Maricopa County from 1953 to 1957 and as an Assistant Attorney General from 1958 to 1960. In 1960, he entered private practice before serving as a Phoenix City Councilman for two terms. Beginning in 1963, Judge Tang served as a Superior Court Judge in Maricopa County for eight years before entering private practice again in 1970 as a partner in the Law Firm Sullivan, Mahoney, and Tang. As a partner, he also served on the Arizona State Board Bar Board of Governors and as President in 1977. That same year, President Jimmy Carter appointed Judge Tang to the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit by merit selection. In October 1993, Judge Tang was granted Senior Status and served in that capacity until his death in July 1995.