Daniel Anthony Manion (February 1, 1942 – August 31, 2024) was an American lawyer, politician, and jurist who served as a United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. He also served in the Indiana Senate from 1978 to 1982.

Early life and education

The elder son of Clarence and Virginia Manion, Daniel Manion received his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Notre Dame in 1964. His father, Clarence Manion (1896–1979), was dean of Notre Dame Law School and president of the Manion Forum, a conservative radio and television program. His mother, Virginia ("Gina") O'Brien Manion, was a well-known owner and trainer of Arabian horses. At Notre Dame, Manion was a three-time champion in the Bengal Bouts, a boxing tournament begun by legendary football coach Knute Rockne. Following graduation, Manion served in the United States Army during the Vietnam War, when he was deployed.

Career

He was appointed the director of industrial development for the Indiana Department of Commerce in 1968. While serving in this position, Manion attended night school at Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law, receiving his Juris Doctor in 1973. After a brief stint in the state attorney general's office as a clerk and then a deputy state attorney general, Manion entered the private practice of law, where he remained until his confirmation as a federal judge. He also served as an Indiana state senator from 1978 to 1982.

Federal judicial service

On February 21, 1986, President Ronald Reagan nominated Manion to the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, to a seat vacated by Judge Wilbur Frank Pell Jr. In a radio address to the nation, President Reagan stated, "I know [Daniel Manion] to be a person who has the ability and determination to become the kind of judge the American people want in the federal courts; one who believes in the rule of law, who reveres the Constitution, and whose sense of fairness and justice is above reproach." The ABA rated Manion "qualified/unqualified." Criticism of him as a nominee came for spelling and grammatical errors in legal briefs submitted to the Senate Judiciary Committee and for his support for the John Birch Society. He became the first of President Reagan's judicial nominees to fail to win support from the Judiciary Committee. The nomination was controversial; Manion was confirmed 48–46 on June 26, 1986 and reaffirmed 50–49 on July 23, 1986 with Vice President George Bush casting a tie-breaking vote. Manion received his commission on July 24, 1986. He assumed senior status on December 18, 2007. His service was terminated on August 31, 2024 due to his death.

Notable decisions

Notable former law clerks

Personal life and death

Manion was married to Ann Murphy Manion, a member of the second class of women to gain entrance to the University of Notre Dame, who graduated magna cum laude in 1977. The couple had four children. Manion's younger brother, Christopher Manion (born 1946), was a member of the Foreign Relations Committee staff chosen by Senator Jesse Helms (R-NC) in the early 1980s. In 1986, one month after his brother's judicial confirmation, he was mentioned in an FBI investigation regarding a purported release of classified information to Chilean officials "about a covert American intelligence-gathering operation". Helms and Manion were exonerated after the investigation. Before his Senate service, Christopher Manion earned his Ph.D in government at Notre Dame University. He served as assistant to the director of Rockford College in Illinois. He later taught politics, religion, and international relations at Boston University, Catholic University of America, and Christendom College. He is a Knight of Malta. In the 1990s, he was director of legislation at the American Council for Health Care Reform, which opposed President Clinton's health reform plans. Manion died in South Bend on August 31, 2024, at the age of 82.