He was in the United States Army Air Forces during World War II, from 1942 to 1946, reaching the rank of lieutenant colonel.
[2] On May 10, 1954, Ingraham was nominated by President Dwight D. Eisenhower to a seat on the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas vacated by Judge Thomas Martin Kennerly.
Ingraham was confirmed by the United States Senate on August 6, 1954, and received his commission the same day.
[2] On December 2, 1969, President Richard Nixon nominated Ingraham for elevation to a new seat on the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit created by 82 Stat.
He assumed senior status on July 31, 1973, serving in that capacity until his death, on May 27, 1990, in Houston.