On March 4, 1902, President Theodore Roosevelt Signed "A Bill To Divide The State Of Texas Into Four Judicial Districts," Creating The Southern District Of Texas

Since its foundation, the Southern District of Texas has been served by forty-one District Judges and six Clerks of Court. Information is available on Bankruptcy Judges, Magistrate Judges and the Divisional Offices. The first federal judge in Texas was John C. Watrous, who was appointed on May 26, 1846, to hold court in Galveston, with jurisdiction over the whole state. Judge Watrous had been Attorney General of the Republic of Texas. On February 21, 1857, the state was divided into two districts, Eastern and Western, with Judge Watrous continuing in the Eastern district. Judge Watrous and Judge Thomas H. DuVal, of the Western District of Texas, left the state on the secession of Texas from the Union, the only two United States Judges not to resign their posts in states that seceded. When Texas was restored to the Union, Watrous and DuVal resumed their duties and served until 1870. Judge Amos Morrill served in the Eastern District of Texas from 1872 to 1884. He was succeeded by Chauncy B. Sabin (1884 to 1890) and David E. Bryant (1890 to 1902). In 1902, when the Southern District was created by Act of Congress, Judge Bryant continued to serve in the Eastern District of Texas.

The Southern District of Texas started with one judge, Waller T. Burns, and a Clerk of Court, Christopher Dart. Since that time, the court has grown to nineteen district judgeships, six bankruptcy judgeships, fourteen magistrate judgeships, and over 200 deputy clerks. These dates are some of the events:

1861
The federal courthouse in Galveston, still in use today, was completed. It is the oldest federal civil building in Texas.
1902
Waller T. Burns was appointed as first United States District Judge in the district on April 22.
1938
Congress added a second judgeship.
1942
Former Governor James Allred resigned the bench to run for the U.S. Senate; lost and was reappointed in 1949.
1949
Congress added two judgeships, bringing the total to four.
1961
Congress added a fifth judgeship. Judge Reynaldo G. Garza becomes the first Hispanic federal judge in the United States.
1964
Congress moves the counties of Austin, Fort Bend, and Wharton from the Galveston Division to the Houston Division.
1966
Congress adds a two district judgeships, bringing the total to seven.
1967
A jury in Houston found Muhammed Ali guilty of refusing to be inducted into the military. Judge Joe McDonald Ingraham sentenced Ali to a term 5 years and a fine of $10,000. Ali did not fight again until October 1970, several commissions having suspended his license for failing to enter the military. His conviction was eventually set aside.
1970
Congress adds an eighth judgeship.
1975
Judge Allen B. Hanay takes senior status after serving for 33 years, the longest term for a judge in history of the district.
1978
Congress adds five district judgeships, bringing the total to thirteen.
1979
Gabrielle Kirk McDonald becomes the first African-American appointed to a federal court in Texas, and the first woman in the district. She is now a judge on on war crimes tribunal.
1980
Congress moves the counties of Polk and Trinity to the newly created Lufkin Division of the Eastern District of Texas.
1984
Congress creates the McAllen Division.
1990
Congress adds five district judgeships, bringing the total to eighteen.
1999
New Brownsville courthouse completed.
2001
New Corpus Christi courthouse completed. Congress adds one additional district judgeship, bringing the total to nineteen.
2002
Judge Andrew Hanen is the most recent person appointed, being the fourty-first judge to serve.