Judge Bootle was nominated by Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1954 and assumed senior status in 1972 when he was 70. Bootle ordered the first admission of an African-American to the University of Georgia in 1961. The federal Courthouse in Macon, Georgia is named in his honor.
He also served as Acting dean and part-time professor for Mercer University, 1933-1937, and celebrated his 101st birthday in August 2003