Barron Patterson McCune

McCune was born in West Newton, Pennsylvania, in 1915 and attended Washington & Jefferson College in Washington, Pennsylvania.^[1] As a student, he submitted jokes told by history professor Dr. Alfred Sweet to Judge magazine, splitting the $2 check from the publication.^[1] He was a member of Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity, as well as the Buskin Club, a theater organization.^[2] McCune received an Artium Baccalaureus degree from Washington & Jefferson College in 1935.^[1] As McCune then took a job with Firestone Tire and Rubber Company in Akron, Ohio, his father encouraged him to study law.^[1] He entered University of Pennsylvania Law School and earned a Bachelor of Laws in 1938.^[3] After graduation, he rejected a job offer in Philadelphia, but he felt that the $1,800 salary wasn't enough to live on.^[4] He returned to Washington in 1939 to work in his own private practice, serving in the United States Naval Reserve as a gunnery officer from 1942 to 1948.^[3][5] In 1964, he became a judge of the Court of Common Pleas in Washington County, Pennsylvania.^[3]

On December 8, 1970, President Richard Nixon nominated McCune to serve as a United States District Judge for the Western District of Pennsylvania. His appointment was to a newly established seat authorized by 84 Stat. 294. The United States Senate confirmed his nomination on December 16, 1970, and he received his commission on December 18, 1970.^[3]

He assumed senior status on April 1, 1985, and later transitioned to inactive senior status in 1995.^[5] His judicial service concluded on September 10, 2008, upon his death.^[3]

During McCune's tenure on the court, he heard a wide variety of cases, including a case involving cocaine trafficking in Major League Baseball and an insurance law case determining whether certain women with breast cancer had insurance coverage for bone marrow transplants.^[1] He held in favor of Allegheny County in a challenge by the American Civil Liberties Union to a display of the Nativity scene at the Allegheny County Courthouse.^{[6][nb 1]}

McCune was active with his alma mater, Washington & Jefferson College, serving on the board of trustees for 40 years, including a time as president of the board from 1976 to 1983.^[5] He was an avid fan of the Washington & Jefferson football team, attending every home game until the age of 92.^[1]

McCune was married to his wife, Edna Markey, from 1943 until her death in 1999.^[6] They had three sons.^[5] He was a member of the Church of the Covenant.^[1] He was known for being a large man, standing 6 feet 4 inches and weighing 215 pounds, and his judicial demeanor was marked by his "one-liners, an imposing demeanor, and a penchant for cigars."^[6] He died on September 10, 2008, in Washington, Pennsylvania.^[3]

He always reminded me of a country philosopher sitting on the front porch of a general store. He had such a quirky view on things.