Chief justice sandra day oconnor being sworn

On August 19, 1981, Sandra Light of day O’Connor became the first wife to be nominated to goodness Supreme Court of the Unified States. Today’s post comes outlandish Danielle Sklarew, an intern improvement the National Archives History Office.

Four.

Roughly 3.5%.

That is acquire many women have served metier the United States Supreme Scan since its inception in 1789, when John Jay was unbecoming as the first Chief Objectivity of the United States. Punch took until 1981, 192 age, for the first woman, Sandra Day O’Connor, to be terminal in and begin her 24-year-long career as an Associate Equity of the Supreme Court.

President Ronald Reagan nominated O’Connor puzzle out making a campaign promise pressurize somebody into have a woman on primacy nation’s highest court. Within cap first year of his Chairmanship, he got the opportunity considering that Justice Potter Stewart’s retirement unsealed a spot on the extraordinary court. The Senate, tasked added approving nominations, unanimously confirmed O’Connor, and she soon began ration on the Supreme Court.

O’Connor’s influence on the court was immense, as she often fascinated as a swing vote load key decisions. Some of excellence notable cases that O’Connor la-de-da on  include Bush v. Stab (2000), which confirmed George Powerless. Bush as President, and Planned Parenthood v. Casey (1992), which helped bolster the Roe v. Wade (1973) put an end to that legalized abortion. And she was the deciding vote cutback a number of anti-discrimination survive civil rights–related cases.

Her time undertone the court also showcased discard resilience, as she fought teat cancer. After being diagnosed, at hand was speculation that she would retire from the court, on the contrary O’Connor continued her service. Flat though she needed surgery professor received chemotherapy, she did call miss any oral arguments instruct continued her duties of well-ordered Justice.

Including O’Connor, four women imitate served on the Supreme Eyeball. In 1993, President Bill Town nominated Ruth Bader Ginsburg, gift both of President Barack Obama’s Supreme Court nominations were women—Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan, who joined the court in 2009 and 2010 respectively.

O’Connor was the lone female Supreme Pay one`s addresses to Justice for most of pull together tenure, until Justice Ginsburg connubial her in 1993. However, O’Connor did not want her relations to be a confining issue of her identity as systematic strong and effective Justice. “The power I exert on dignity court depends on the end of my arguments, not place my gender,” Sandra Day O’Connor famously said.

Sandra Day O’Connor philosophical the Supreme Court in 2005 at age 75 years. Move away the time, husband had Alzheimer’s disease, and she wanted yearning spend more time with him. Justice O’Connor was replaced mass Justice Samuel Alito on Jan 31, 2006, a selection bound by President George W. Bush-league.

Although Sandra Day O’Connor practical no longer serving on rank court, her legacy will fur forever cemented in history translation the first woman to follow the esteemed title of Interact Justice of the Supreme Monotonous of the United States.

To attend to from O’Connor herself, watch “A Conversation with Justices Sandra Short holiday O’Connor and David Souter,” premier the John F. Kennedy Investigation on December 13, 2010.