William J. Brennan Jr.

U.S. Supreme Court justice from 1956 to 1990

William Joseph Brennan Jr. (April 25, 1906 – July 24, 1997) was a Justice of the United States Supreme Court from 1956 to 1990.[3] He was born in Newark, New Jersey in 1906 as the second of eight children to Irish immigrants.[3] He attended Harvard Law School, was a U.S. Army Major during World War II, and was a justice for a New Jersey superior court and then for the New Jersey Supreme Court before he was appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court (SCOTUS) by U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower, where he was a part of SCOTUS's liberal wing and where he wrote more than 1,200 opinions over the years.[3] After being on SCOTUS for over 30 years, he retired from SCOTUS in 1990 due to declining health and was replaced by David Souter.[3] He was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by U.S. President Bill Clinton in 1993 and died in 1997 at the age of 91 after he fell and broke his hip.[3]

William J. Brennan Jr.
Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States
In office
October 15, 1956 – July 20, 1990[1]
Nominated byDwight D. Eisenhower
Preceded bySherman Minton
Succeeded byDavid Souter
Associate Justice of the
New Jersey Supreme Court
In office
April 1, 1951 – October 13, 1956
Nominated byAlfred E. Driscoll
Preceded byHenry E. Ackerson Jr.[2]
Succeeded byJoseph Weintraub
Personal details
Born
William Joseph Brennan Jr.

(1906-04-25)April 25, 1906
Newark, New Jersey, U.S.
DiedJuly 24, 1997(1997-07-24) (aged 91)
Arlington, Virginia, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
Spouse(s)
Marjorie Leonard
(m. 1927; died 1982)

Mary Fowler (m. 1983)
Children3
EducationUniversity of Pennsylvania (BS)
Harvard University (LLB)
Military service
Allegiance United States
Branch/service United States Army
Years of service1942–1945
Rank Colonel

References change

  1. "Federal Judicial Center: William J. Brennan". December 12, 2009. Archived from the original on May 13, 2009. Retrieved December 12, 2009.
  2. "HENRY ACKERSON OF JERSEY COURT". The New York Times. December 11, 1970. Archived from the original on October 21, 2017. Retrieved October 20, 2017.
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 https://www.oyez.org/justices/william_j_brennan_jr