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Rehnquist: A Justice’s Journey

washingtonpost.com Staff
Sunday, September 04, 2005

William H. Rehnquist was born Oct. 1, 1924, in Milwaukee to Margery and William Rehnquist. His father was a paper salesman.

Early Career

1943-46: Served in the Army Air Corps in North Africa as a weather observer.

1948: Graduated from Stanford University with bachelor’s and master’s degrees in political science.

1949: Earned master’s in government from Harvard University.

1952: Graduated first in his class from Stanford Law School.

1952-53: Clerked for Supreme Court Justice Robert H. Jackson.

1953: Married Natalie Cornell, a fellow Stanford student.

1953: Moved to Arizona, began practicing law and working in the state GOP.

1969: Appointed assistant attorney general in charge of the office of legal counsel in the Nixon administration.

Associate Supreme Court Justice

President Nixon presents a framed commission to William H. Rehnquist after giving a similar one to Lewis F. Powell Jr., left, during a White House ceremony when the two were sworn in as Supreme Court justices. (AP)

1971: President Richard M. Nixon nominated Rehnquist to the Supreme Court to fill a vacancy left by the retirement of Justice John M. Harlan. The Senate voted 68 to 26 to confirm him.

1973: Dissented in Roe v. Wade, which gave women a constitutional right to have an abortion.

1979: Disagreed with the majority in United Steelworkers of America v. Weber, which determined that the Civil Rights Act of 1964 does not condemn all private, voluntary, race-conscious affirmative action plans.

Chief Justice of the United States

Chief Justice Rehnquist is sworn into office in the White House's East Room by his predecessor, Chief Justice Burger. (AP)

1986: President Ronald Reagan nominated Rehnquist to replace retiring Chief Justice Warren Burger. The Senate voted 65 to 33 to confirm him.

1996: Voted against majority in Romer v. Evans, which voided a state constitutional amendment limiting anti-gay bias laws.

1996: Clashed with GOP over criticism of President Bill Clinton’s judicial appointments.

1999: Presided over Senate impeachment trial of Clinton.

Chief Justice Rehnquist swears President Bush into office in 2001. (AP)

2000: Voted with the majority not to allow a manual recount in Florida during the contested presidential election.

2002: Wrote the majority opinion in Zelman v. Simmons-Harris, which upheld a Cleveland school voucher program that provided scholarships to send children to religious schools.

Oct. 23, 2004: Underwent throat surgery related to thyroid cancer at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda.

Sept. 3, 2005: Dies at his home in Arlington, opening a second seat on the High Court.