Virgil Francis Carmichael was born on 1918 April 13. His maternal grandfather was Martin Van Buren Beene, great-grandson of Lieutenant John Been. Carmichael graduated from Knoxville High School and the University of Tennessee before being drafted into the Army in 1941. He served as a paratrooper in Africa, Italy, and Europe and earned the Silver Star, two Bronze Stars, the Purple Heart, the Presidential Unit Emblem, the Combat Infantryman Badge, the French Fourragere, the Belgian Fourragere, the Dutch Orange Lanyard, and Parachute Wings. After being discharged from the Army, Carmichael completed his law degree at Cumberland University and served as County Attorney in Bradley County as well as Assistant District Attorney for Bradley, Polk, McMinn, Monroe, Roane, Loudon, and Blount counties and Circuit Judge for Bradley, McMinn, Polk, and Monroe counties. He married Evelyn Simms Layfield on May 29, 1946 and the couple had two children, Wayne and Alan. After retiring from the bench, Carmichael maintained a private law practice until 1988. He moved back to Knoxville in 1995 and died there on 2004 November 13. After his death, an addition was added to the Cleveland (Tenn.) Public Library in his honor.