John H. Wood, Jr.

John Howland Wood Jr.

Judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas
In office December 1, 1970 – May 29, 1979
Appointed by	Richard Nixon
Preceded by	new seat created by 84 Stat. 294
Succeeded by	Lucius Desha Bunton III
Personal details
Born	John Howland Wood Jr. (1916-03-31)March 31, 1916 Rockport, Texas
Died	May 29, 1979(1979-05-29) (aged 63) San Antonio, Texas
Nationality	American
Alma mater	St. Mary's University B.B.A. University of Texas School of Law LL.B.
Military service
Allegiance	United States of America
Service/branch	United States Navy
Years of service	1944 – 1954
Rank	Lieutenant

John Howland Wood Jr. (March 31, 1916 – May 29, 1979) was an American lawyer and judge from Texas. He served as a United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas before being assassinated by Charles Harrelson outside Wood's home in San Antonio, in 1979. Wood's killing was the first assassination of a federal judge in the 20th century. (Two other federal judges were assassinated in the 1980s, Richard J. Daronco in 1988 and Robert Smith Vance in 1989.)

Wood was born on March 31, 1916, to a prominent Texas family in Rockport, Texas. His great-great-grandfather, John Howland Wood, settled in Texas in 1836 and founded the towns of Rockport and Woodsboro, and took part in the Texas Revolution and American Civil War. Wood's father, John H. Wood Sr., was also a lawyer. Wood attended Thomas Jefferson High School in San Antonio. He received his Bachelor of Business Administration degree from St. Mary's University in 1935 and his Bachelor of Laws from the University of Texas School of Law in 1938.

Wood was in private practice in San Antonio from 1938 to 1970 with the law firm Beckmann, Stanard & Olson, except from 1944 to 1945, when he served as an ensign in the Navy during World War II. Wood was in the Naval Reserve from 1945 to 1954, as a Lieutenant.