| Earl
Warren |
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E.
Warren |
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| Earl
Warren was an immensely popular Republican governor when
President Dwight Eisenhower appointed him to the Supreme
Court. Ike later regretted his choice; he had hoped to
appoint a moderate conservative; Warren proved to be an
unabashed liberal. Warren joined the Court in the midst
of one of its most important issues: racial segregation
in public schools. The new Chief proved an effective leader
(unlike his predecessor) by bringing the Brethren from
division to unanimity on the issue of racial equality.
At the end of his service, Warren concluded that his greatest
contribution to government was his opinion in the reapportionment
cases. However, his contribution to racial equality still
stands as a testament to his role as a leader extraordinaire. |
| Sherman
Minton |
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|
S.
Minton |
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| Sherman
Minton was a strong advocate of Roosevelt's "Court-Packing"
plan disappointing most liberals by consistently preferring
order to freedom. Minton voted to uphold statutes intended
to protect the national security; he rejected challenges
asserting violations of individual liberties. Upon his
retirement, Minton observed: "There will be more
interest in who will succeed me than in my passing. I'm
an echo." |
| Harold
Burton |
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H.
Burton |
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Burton holds the unusual distinction of being the only
Republican appointed to the Supreme Court from 1933 to
1953, a period of virtually complete Democratic control.
He proved to be the most liberal of Truman's four appointments.
He possessed extraordinary personal charm. As one scholar
wrote, "probably no member of the...Court enjoyed
greater affection from his colleagues on the bench...."
But his liberal views did not always protect individual
rights, as his opinion for the Court in the Bute case
makes plain. |
| Tom
C. Clark |
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T.
C. Clark |
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Born, raised, and educated in Texas and the son of a prominent
politician, Clark was active in Texas Democratic politics.
He joined the Justice Department in 1937 and served as
civilian coordinator of the forced evacuation of Japanese-Americans
from the West Coast during World War II. President Harry
S Truman appointed Clark attorney general in 1945, and
nominated him to the High Court in 1949. Truman later
would lament his choice. Clark resigned in 1967 to avoid
any question of conflict of interest after President Lyndon
B. Johnson appointed Clark's son, Ramsey, to serve as
Attorney General. |
| John
M. Harlan |
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|
J.
M. Harlan |
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| Harlan
was the intellectual leader of the conservatives on the
Court, frequently dissenting from the liberal activist
decisions of the Warren Court. He defended federalism
against centralization of power and he never accepted
the idea that the Fourteenth Amendment somehow incorporated
or embraced the Bill of Rights. Harlan was widely respected,
even by his opponents, for his thoroughness, candor, and
civility. Though he frequently disagreed publicly with
Justice Hugo Black, they were close friends off the bench. |
| William
O. Douglas |
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W.
O. Douglas |
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| Douglas
supported unpopular political causes and maintained an
unconventional lifestyle (he was married four times).
His opinions were characterized by a fierce commitment
to individual rights and a powerful distrust of government
power. Critics claimed that his work showed signs of haste
(he was a rapid writer), but defenders admired the forceful
and blunt manner by which he reached the core issue in
each case. Brilliant, eccentric and independent, William
O. Douglas holds the record for the longest continuous
service on the nation's most powerful Court: 36 years
and 7 months. |
| Stanley
Reed |
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S.
Reed |
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| He
was appointed by Roosevelt as solicitor general in part
because the president was persuaded that Reed could convince
a conservative Supreme Court that his New Deal legislation
was constitutional. It is said that when Reed approached
the lectern in his first oral argument as solicitor general,
he fainted dead away. Roosevelt's legislation did not
fare much better. Roosevelt promoted Reed to the High
Court in 1938. |
| Hugo
L. Black |
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H.
L. Black |
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| Black
was a strong advocate for the New Deal policies of President
Franklin Roosevelt, including FDR's infamous Court-packing
plan. It is not at all surprising that Black, a southern
progressive, became Roosevelt's first appointment to the
Supreme Court. Shortly after his swearing-in but prior
to taking his seat on the bench, Justice Black found himself
in controversy. The Hearst newspapers reported that Black
had been a member of the Ku Klux Klan. Black gave a nationally
broadcast radio address explaining his decision to join
and then resign from the Klan. Protestors filed an unsuccessful
petition urging the Court to deny Black his seat. As a
Justice, Black held to the view that the Court should
literally enforce constitutional guarantees, especially
the First Amendment free speech clause. Black was often
labeled an "activist" because of his willingness
to review legislation that arguably violated constitutional
provisions. Black maintained that literalism was necessary
to cabin judicial power. |
| Felix
Frankfurter |
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F.
Frankfurter |
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| Frankfurter
earned a reputation as an expert in constitutional law
and federal jurisdiction. But he was no academic recluse.
He argued cases for the National Consumers League, maintained
an active interest in Zionist causes, and helped to found
The New Republic. Frankfurter was also a highly visible
defender of Sacco and Vanzetti, who were anarchists accused
of bank robbery and murder in Braintree, Massachusetts. |
