Henry Rupert Wilhoit Jr.

Henry Rupert Wilhoit Jr. (born February 11, 1935) is a Senior United States federal judge of the 
United States District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky.

Born in Ashland, Kentucky, Wilhoit received an LL.B. from the University of Kentucky College of Law in 1960. 
He was in private practice in Grayson, Kentucky from 1960 to 1981, serving as a city attorney for Grayson from 1962 
to 1966, and was a county attorney of Carter County, Kentucky from 1966 to 1970.

On August 11, 1981, Wilhoit was nominated by President Ronald Reagan to a seat on the United States District Court 
for the Eastern District of Kentucky vacated by Howard David Hermansdorfer. Wilhoit was confirmed by the United States 
Senate on September 25, 1981, and received his commission on September 28, 1981. He served as chief judge from 
1998 to 2000, assuming senior status on December 31, 2000.

Judge Wilhoit is married to Jane Horton Wilhoit.  Their three children have followed in their father’s footsteps 
in the practice of law:  Mary Jane Wilhoit Phelps (District Judge of Bourbon, Scott and Woodford Counties, Kentucky), 
Henry Rupert Wilhoit, III (District Judge of Carter, Elliott and Morgan Counties, Kentucky and founder of 
Wilhoit Law Offices ) and William H. Wilhoit (Lawyer – Wilhoit Law Offices).


Contributed by Sherry Lowe