Sandra Day O'Connor - wikipedia Sandra Day O'Connor The Honorable Sandra Day O'Connor Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States In office September 25, 1981 -- January 31, 2006 Nominated by Ronald Reagan Preceded by Potter Stewart Succeeded by Samuel Alito 23rd Chancellor of the College of William and Mary In office October 4, 2005 -- February 3, 2012 President Gene Nichol Taylor Reveley Preceded by Henry Kissinger Succeeded by Robert Gates Judge of the Arizona Court of Appeals for Division One In office December 1979 -- September 25, 1981 Nominated by Bruce Babbitt Preceded by Mary Schroeder Succeeded by Sarah D. Grant Judge of the Maricopa County Superior Court for Division 31 In office January 1975 -- December 1979 Preceded by David J. Perry Succeeded by Cecil B. Patterson Jr. Member of the Arizona Senate from the 24th district In office January 8, 1973 -- January 13, 1975 Preceded by Howard S. Baldwin Succeeded by John Pritzlaff Member of the Arizona Senate from the 20th district In office January 11, 1971 -- January 8, 1973 Preceded by Constituency established Succeeded by Bess Stinson Member of the Arizona Senate from the 8 - E district In office October 30, 1969 -- January 11, 1971 Preceded by Isabel Burgess Succeeded by Constituency abolished Personal details Sandra Day ( 1930 - 03 - 26 ) March 26, 1930 ( age 87 ) El Paso, Texas Nationality American Political party Republican Spouse ( s ) John Jay O'Connor ( m. 1952 ; d. 2009 ) Children Education Stanford University ( BA, LLB ) Signature Sandra Day O'Connor ( born March 26, 1930 ) is a retired Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, serving from her appointment in 1981 by Ronald Reagan to 2006. She was the first woman to serve on the Court. Prior to O'Connor's tenure on the Court, she was an elected official and judge in Arizona serving as the first female Majority Leader of a state senate as the Republican leader in the Arizona Senate. Upon her nomination to the Court, O'Connor was confirmed unanimously by the Senate. On July 1, 2005, she announced her intention to retire effective upon the confirmation of a successor. Samuel Alito was nominated to take her seat in October 2005, and joined the Court on January 31, 2006. Considered a federalist and a moderate Republican, O'Connor tended to approach each case narrowly without arguing for sweeping precedents. She most frequently sided with the Court 's conservative bloc, although in the latter years of her tenure, she was regarded as having the swing opinion in many cases. She often wrote concurring opinions that limited the reach of the majority holding. Her majority opinions in landmark cases include Grutter v. Bollinger and Hamdi v. Rumsfeld. She also wrote in part the per curiam majority opinions in Planned Parenthood v. Casey and Bush v. Gore. O'Connor was Chancellor of The College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, and served on the board of trustees of the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She also served on the Board of Trustees for Colonial Williamsburg. Several publications have named O'Connor among the most powerful women in the world. On August 12, 2009, she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor of the United States, by President Barack Obama. Contents 1 Early life and education 2 Early career and marriage 3 Supreme Court career 3.1 Appointment 3.2 Supreme Court jurisprudence 3.2. 1 Voting record and deciding votes 3.2. 2 First Amendment 3.2. 3 Fourth Amendment 3.2. 4 Cases involving race 3.2. 5 Abortion 3.2. 6 Foreign law 3.2. 7 Commentary and analysis 3.3 Response to being first woman on the Supreme Court 4 Retirement 5 Post-Supreme Court career 5.1 Commentary 5.2 Activities and memberships 6 Personal life 7 Legacy and awards 8 See also 9 Further reading 10 Notes 10.1 Bibliography 11 External links Early Life and education Sandra Day was born in El Paso, Texas, the daughter of Harry Alfred Day, a rancher, and Ada Mae ( Wilkey ). She grew up on a cattle ranch near Duncan, Arizona. The ranch was 9 miles from the nearest paved road. The family home did not have running water nor electricity until Sandra was seven years old. She hunted from a young age, using a. 22 - caliber rifle to shoot jackrabbits for food. She began driving as soon as she could see over the dashboard and had to learn to change automobile flat tires herself. Sandra had two younger siblings, a sister and a brother, respectively eight and ten years her junior. Her sister was Ann Day, who served in the Arizona Legislature. She later wrote a book with her brother, H. Alan Day, Lazy B : Growing up on a Cattle Ranch in the American West ( 2002 ), about her childhood experiences on the ranch. For most of her early schooling, O'Connor lived in El Paso with her maternal grandmother, and attended school at the Radford School for Girls, a private school. The family cattle ranch was too far from schools, although O'Connor was able return to the ranch for holidays and the summer. O'Connor spent her eighth - grade year living at the ranch and riding a bus 32 miles to school. She graduated sixth in her class at Austin High School in El Paso in 1946. She attended Stanford University where she received her B.A. in economics in 1950. She continued at the Stanford Law School for her LL. B... There, she served on the Stanford Law Review with its presiding editor - in - chief, future Supreme Court Chief Justice William Rehnquist, who was the class valedictorian and whom she briefly dated during law school. She has stated that she graduated third in her law school class, though Stanford 's official position is that the law school did not rank students in 1952. Early career and marriage On December 20, 1952, six months after graduating from law school, she married John Jay O'Connor III. The pair had met as students at Stanford Law School. After graduation from law school, at least forty law firms refused to interview her for a position as an attorney because she was a woman. She eventually found employment as a deputy county attorney in San Mateo, California after she offered to work for no salary and without an office, sharing space with a secretary. When her husband was drafted, she decided to pick up and go with him to work in Germany as a civilian attorney for the Army 's Quartermaster Corps. They remained there for three years before returning to the states where they settled in Maricopa County, Arizona to begin their family. They had three sons : Scott ( born 1958 ), Brian ( born 1960 ), and Jay ( born 1962 ). Following Brian 's birth, O'Connor took at five - year hiatus from the practice of law. She volunteered in various political organizations like the Maricopa County Young Republicans and served on the presidential campaign for Arizona Senator Barry M. Goldwater in 1964. O'Connor served as assistant Attorney General of Arizona from 1965 to 1969 until she was appointed to fill a vacancy in the Arizona Senate. She ran for and won the election for the seat the following year. By 1973, she became the first woman to serve as Arizona 's or any state 's Majority Leader. She developed a reputation as a skilled negotiator and a moderate. After serving two full terms, O'Connor decided to leave the Senate. In 1974, she was elected to the Maricopa County Superior Court serving from 1975 to 1979 when she was elevated to the Arizona State Court of Appeals. She served on the Court of Appeals - Division One until 1981 when she was appointed to the Supreme Court by President Ronald Reagan. Supreme Court career Appointment Supreme Court Justice - nominee Sandra Day O'Connor talks with President Ronald Reagan outside the White House, July 15, 1981. On July 7, 1981, Reagan -- who had pledged during his 1980 presidential campaign to appoint the first woman to the Court -- announced he would nominate O'Connor as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court to replace the retiring Potter Stewart. O'Connor received notification from President Reagan of her nomination on the day prior to the announcement and did not know that she was a finalist for the position. Reagan wrote in his diary on July 6, 1981 : `` Called Judge O'Connor and told her she was my nominee for supreme court. Already the flak is starting and from my own supporters. Right to Life people say she is pro abortion. She declares abortion is personally repugnant to her. I think she 'll make a good justice. '' O'Connor told Reagan she did not remember whether she had supported the view of repealing Arizona 's law banning abortion. However, she had cast a preliminary vote in the Arizona State Senate in 1970 in favor of a bill to repeal the state 's criminal - abortion statute. In 1974, O'Connor had opined against a measure to prohibit abortions in some Arizona hospitals. Pro-life and religious groups opposed O'Connor's nomination because they suspected, correctly, she would not be willing to overturn Roe v Wade. U.S. Senate Republicans, including Don Nickles of Oklahoma, Steve Symms of Idaho, and Jesse Helms of North Carolina called the White House to express their discontent over the nomination ; Nickles said he and `` other profamily Republican senators would not support '' O'Connor. Helms, Nickles, and Symms nevertheless voted for confirmation. Reagan formally nominated O'Connor on August 19, 1981. O'Connor being sworn in by Chief Justice Warren Burger Conservative activists such as the Reverend Jerry Falwell, Howard Phillips, and Peter Gemma, also spoke out against the nomination. Gemma called the nomination `` a direct contradiction of the Republican platform to everything that candidate Reagan said and even President Reagan has said in regard to social issues. '' Gemma, the executive director of the National Pro-Life Political Action Committee, had sought to delay O'Connor's confirmation by challenging her record, including support for the Equal Rights Amendment. O'Connor's confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee began on September 9, 1981. It was the first televised confirmation hearing for a Supreme Court Justice. The confirmation hearing lasted three days and largely focused on the issue of abortion. When asked, O'Connor refused to telegraph her views on abortion, and she was careful not to leave the impression that she supported abortion rights. The Judiciary Committee approved O'Connor with seventeen votes in favor and one vote of present. On September 21, O'Connor was confirmed by the U.S. Senate with a vote of 99 -- 0 ; Senator Max Baucus of Montana was absent from the vote, and sent O'Connor a copy of A River Runs Through It by way of apology. In her first year on the Court she received over 60,000 letters from the public, more than any other justice in history. Supreme Court jurisprudence Voting record and deciding votes Justice O'Connor presents Alberto Gonzales to the audience after swearing him in as U.S. Attorney General, as Mrs. Becky Gonzales looks on. O'Connor was part of the federalism movement and approached each case as narrowly as possible, avoiding generalizations that might later `` paint her into a corner '' for future cases. Initially, her voting record aligned closely with the conservative William Rehnquist ( voting with him 87 % of the time her first three years at the Court ). From that time until 1998 O'Connor's alignment with Rehnquist ranged from 93.4 % to 63.2 %, hitting above 90 % in three of those years. In nine of her first sixteen years on the Court, O'Connor voted with Rehnquist more than with any other justice. Later on, as the Court 's make - up became more conservative ( e.g., Anthony Kennedy replacing Lewis Powell, and Clarence Thomas replacing Thurgood Marshall ), O'Connor often became the swing vote on the Court. However, she usually disappointed the Court 's more liberal bloc in contentious 5 -- 4 decisions : from 1994 to 2004, she joined the traditional conservative bloc of Rehnquist, Antonin Scalia, Anthony Kennedy, and Thomas 82 times ; she joined the liberal bloc of John Paul Stevens, David Souter, Ginsburg, and Stephen Breyer only 28 times. O'Connor's relatively small shift away from conservatives on the Court seems to have been due at least in part to Thomas 's views. When Thomas and O'Connor were voting on the same side, she would typically write a separate opinion of her own, refusing to join his. In the 1992 term, O'Connor did not join a single one of Thomas ' dissents. Some of the cases in which O'Connor was the deciding vote include : McConnell v. FEC, 540 U.S. 93 ( 2003 ) This ruling upheld the constitutionality of most of the McCain - Feingold campaign - finance bill regulating `` soft money '' contributions. Grutter v. Bollinger, 539 U.S. 306 ( 2003 ) and Gratz v. Bollinger, 539 U.S. 244 ( 2003 ) O'Connor wrote the opinion of the Court in Grutter and joined the majority in Gratz. In this pair of cases, the University of Michigan 's undergraduate admissions program was held to have engaged in unconstitutional reverse discrimination, but the more - limited type of affirmative action in the University of Michigan Law School 's admissions program was held to have been constitutional. Zelman v. Simmons - Harris, 536 U.S. 639 ( 2002 ) O'Connor joined the majority holding that the use of school vouchers for religious schools did not violate the First Amendment 's Establishment Clause. Bush v. Gore, 531 U.S. 98 ( 2000 ) O'Connor joined with four other justices on December 12, 2000, to rule on the Bush v. Gore case that ceased challenges to the results of the 2000 presidential election ( ruling to stop the ongoing Florida election recount and to allow no further recounts ). This case effectively ended Gore 's hopes to become president. Some legal scholars have argued that she should have recused herself from this case, citing several reports that she became upset when the media initially announced that Gore had won Florida, with her husband explaining that they would have to wait another four years before retiring to Arizona. O'Connor played an important role in other notable cases, such as : Webster v. Reproductive Health Services, 492 U.S. 490 ( 1989 ) This decision upheld as constitutional state restrictions on second trimester abortions that are not necessary to protect maternal health, contrary to the original trimester requirements in Roe v. Wade. Although O'Connor joined the majority, which also included Rehnquist, Scalia, Kennedy and Byron White, in a concurring opinion she refused to explicitly overturn Roe. On February 22, 2005, with Rehnquist and Stevens ( who were senior to her ) absent, she became the senior justice presiding over oral arguments in the case of Kelo v. City of New London and becoming the first woman to do so before the Court. First Amendment Sandra Day O'Connor was unpredictable in many of her court decisions, especially those regarding First Amendment Establishment Cause issues. This might be due to the fact that instead of letting herself be guided by her conservative ideologies, she decided on a case - by - case basis and voted with careful deliberation in a way that she felt benefited individual rights and the Constitution ( which she viewed to be `` an ever changing work in progress. '' ) Barry Lynn, executive director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, said, `` O'Connor was a conservative, but she saw the complexity of church - state issues and tried to choose a course that respected the country 's religious diversity '' ( Hudson 2005 ). O'Connor voted in favor of religious institutions, such as in Zelman v. Simmons - Harris, Mitchell v. Helms, and Rosenberger v. University of Virginia. Conversly, in Lee v. Weisman she was part of the majority in the case that saw religious prayer and pressure to stand in silence at a graduation ceremony as part of a religious act that coerced people to support / participate in religion, which is strictly prohibited by the Establishment Clause. This is consistent with a similar case, Santa Fe Independent School District v. Doe, involving prayer at a school football game. In this case O'Connor joined the majority opinion that stated prayer at school football games violates the Establishment Clause ( Oyez, 2016 ). O'Connor was the first justice to articulate the `` no endorsement '' standard for the Establishment Clause. In Lynch v. Donnelly, O'Connor wrote for a 5 -- 4 majority that a nativity scene in a public Christmas display did not violate the First Amendment because it was not expressing an endorsement or disapproval of any religion. Fourth Amendment According to George Washington University law professor Jeffrey Rosen, `` O'Connor was an eloquent opponent of intrusive group searches that threatened privacy without increasing security. In a 1983 opinion upholding searches by drug - sniffing dogs, she recognized that a search is most likely to be considered constitutionally reasonable if it is very effective at discovering contraband without revealing innocent but embarrassing information. '' Washington College of Law law professor Andrew Taslitz, referencing O'Connor's dissent in a 2001 case, said of her Fourth Amendment jurisprudence : `` O'Connor recognizes that needless humiliation of an individual is an important factor in determining Fourth Amendment reasonableness. '' O'Connor once quoted the social contract theory of John Locke as influencing her views on the reasonableness and constitutionality of government action. Cases involving race In the 1990 and 1995 Missouri v. Jenkins rulings, O'Connor voted with the majority that district courts had no authority to require the state of Missouri to increase school funding in order to counteract racial inequality. In the 1991 Freeman v. Pitts case, O'Connor joined a concurring opinion in a plurality, agreeing that a school district that had formerly been under judicial review for racial segregation could be freed of this review, even though not all desegregation targets had been met. Law professor Herman Schwartz criticized these rulings, writing that in both cases `` both the fact and effects of segregation were still present. '' In 1987 's McCleskey v. Kemp, O'Connor joined a 5 -- 4 majority that voted to uphold the death penalty for an African American man, Warren McCleskey, convicted of killing a white police officer, despite statistical evidence that black defendants were more likely to receive the death penalty than others both in Georgia and in the U.S. as a whole. In 1996 's Shaw v. Hunt and Shaw v. Reno, O'Connor joined a Rehnquist opinion, following an earlier precedent from an opinion she authored in 1993, in which the Court struck down an electoral districting plan designed to facilitate the election of two black representatives out of twelve from North Carolina, a state that had not had any black representative since Reconstruction, despite being approximately 20 % black -- the Court held that the districts were unacceptably gerrymandered and O'Connor called the odd shape of the district in question, North Carolina 's 12th, `` bizarre ''. Law Professor Herman Schwartz called O'Connor `` the Court 's leader in its assault on racially oriented affirmative action, '' although she joined with the Court in upholding the constitutionality of race - based admissions to universities. In late 2008, O'Connor said she believed racial affirmative action should continue to help heal the inequalities created by racial discrimination. She stressed this would not be a cure - all but rather a bandage and that society has to do much more to correct our racial imbalance. In 2003 Justice O'Connor authored a majority Supreme Court opinion ( Grutter v. Bollinger ) saying racial affirmative action would n't be constitutional permanently but long enough to correct past discrimination - an approximation limit of around 25 years, or until 2028. Abortion In her confirmation hearings and early days on the Court, O'Connor was carefully ambiguous on the issue of abortion, as some conservatives questioned her pro-life credentials on the basis of some of her votes in the Arizona legislature. O'Connor generally dissented from 1980s opinions which took an expansive view of Roe v. Wade ; she criticized that decision 's `` trimester approach '' sharply in her dissent in 1983 's City of Akron v. Akron Center for Reproductive Health. She criticized Roe in Thornburgh v. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists : ``... I dispute not only the wisdom but also the legitimacy of the Court 's attempt to discredit and pre-empt state abortion regulation regardless of the interests it serves and the impact it has. '' In 1989, O'Connor stated during the deliberations over the Webster case that she would not overrule Roe. While on the Court, O'Connor did not vote to strike down any restrictions on abortion until Hodgson v. Minnesota in 1990. O'Connor allowed certain limits to be placed on access to abortion, but supported the fundamental right to abortion protected by the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. In Planned Parenthood v. Casey, O'Connor used a test she had originally developed in City of Akron v. Akron Center for Reproductive Health to limit the holding of Roe v. Wade, opening up a legislative portal where a State could enact measures so long as they did not place an `` undue burden '' on a woman 's right to an abortion. Casey revised downward the standard of scrutiny federal courts would apply to state abortion restrictions, a major departure from Roe. However it preserved Roe 's core constitutional precept : that the Fourteenth Amendment implies and protects a fundamental right to control the outcomes of one 's reproductive actions. Writing the plurality opinion for the Court, O'Connor, along with Justices Kennedy and Souter, famously declared : `` At the heart of liberty is the right to define one 's own concept of existence, of meaning, of the universe, and of the mystery of human life. Beliefs about these matters could not define the attributes of personhood were they formed under compulsion of the State. '' Foreign law O'Connor was a vigorous defender of the citing of foreign laws in judicial decisions. In a well - publicized October 28, 2003, speech at the Southern Center for International Studies, O'Connor said : The impressions we create in this world are important and can leave their mark... ( T ) here is talk today about the `` internationalization of legal relations ''. We are already seeing this in American courts, and should see it increasingly in the future. This does not mean, of course, that our courts can or should abandon their character as domestic institutions. But conclusions reached by other countries and by the international community, although not formally binding upon our decisions, should at times constitute persuasive authority in American courts -- what is sometimes called `` transjudicialism ''. In the speech she noted the 2002 Court case, Atkins v. Virginia, in which the majority decision ( which included her ) cited disapproval of the death penalty in Europe as part of its argument. This speech, and the general concept of relying on foreign law and opinion, was widely criticized by conservatives. In May 2004, the U.S. House of Representatives responded by passing a non-binding resolution, the `` Reaffirmation of American Independence Resolution '', stating that `` U.S. judicial decisions should not be based on any foreign laws, court decisions, or pronouncements of foreign governments unless they are relevant to determining the meaning of American constitutional and statutory law. '' O'Connor once quoted the constitution of the Middle Eastern nation of Bahrain, which states that `` ( n ) o authority shall prevail over the judgement of a judge, and under no circumstances may the course of justice be interfered with. '' Further, `` ( i ) t is in everyone 's interest to foster the rule - of - law evolution. '' O'Connor proposed that such ideas be taught in American law schools, high schools and universities. Critics contend that such thinking is contrary to the U.S. Constitution and establishes a rule of man, rather than law. In her retirement, she has continued to speak and organize conferences on the issue of judicial independence. Commentary and analysis O'Connor's case - by - case approach routinely placed her in the center of the Court and drew both criticism and praise. The Washington Post columnist Charles Krauthammer for instance described her as lacking a judicial philosophy and instead displaying `` political positioning embedded in a social agenda ''. Conservative commentator, Ramesh Ponnuru, wrote that, even though O'Connor `` has voted reasonably well '', her tendency to issue very case - specific rulings `` undermines the predictability of the law and aggrandizes the judicial role ''. Response to being first woman on the Supreme Court O'Connor has said she felt a responsibility to demonstrate women could do the job of justice. She faced some practical concerns, including the lack of a woman 's restroom near the Courtroom. Two years after O'Connor joined the Court, The New York Times published an editorial which mentioned the `` nine men '' of the `` SCOTUS '', or Supreme Court of the United States. O'Connor responded with a letter to the editor reminding the Times that the Court was no longer composed of nine men and referred to herself as FWOTSC ( First Woman On The Supreme Court ). In several speeches broadcast nationally on the cable network C - SPAN, she mentioned feeling some relief from the media clamor when Ruth Bader Ginsburg joined her as an Associate Justice of the Court in 1993. In May 2010, O'Connor warned female Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan about the `` unpleasant '' process of confirmation hearings. Retirement On December 12, 2000, The Wall Street Journal reported that O'Connor was reluctant to retire with a Democrat in the presidency : `` At an Election Night party at the Washington, D.C. home of Mary Ann Stoessel, widow of former Ambassador Walter Stoessel, the justice 's husband, John O'Connor, mentioned to others her desire to step down, according to three witnesses. But Mr. O'Connor said his wife would be reluctant to retire if a Democrat were in the White House and would choose her replacement. Justice O'Connor declined to comment. '' Justice O'Connor and her husband John O'Connor with President George W. Bush in May 2004. Justice O'Connor's letter to Bush, dated July 1, 2005, announcing her retirement By 2005, the membership of the Court had been static for eleven years, the second - longest period without a change in the Court 's composition in American history. Rehnquist was widely expected to be the first justice to retire during Bush 's term, because of his age and his battle with cancer, although rumors of O'Connor's possible retirement circulated as well. Before deciding to retire, O'Connor consulted Rehnquist on his plans in an attempt to avoid having two retirements at the same time. On July 1, 2005, O'Connor announced her intention to retire. In her letter to Bush she stated that her retirement from active service would take effect upon the confirmation of her successor. O'Connor's letter did not provide a reason for her retirement, however, a Supreme Court spokeswoman confirmed O'Connor was leaving to spend time with her husband, who was suffering from Alzheimer 's disease. O'Connor herself was still in good health, a break from the usual practice of justices serving until death or nearly incapacitated. On July 19, Bush nominated D.C. Circuit Judge John Roberts to succeed O'Connor. O'Connor heard the news over the car radio on the way back from a fishing trip. She felt he was an excellent and highly qualified choice -- he had argued numerous cases before the Court during her tenure. However, she was disappointed her replacement was not a woman. O'Connor had expected to leave the Court before the next term started on October 3, 2005. However, Rehnquist died on September 3 ( she spoke at his funeral ), creating an immediate vacancy on the Court. Two days later, Bush withdrew Roberts as his nominee for her seat and instead appointed him to fill the vacant office of Chief Justice. O'Connor agreed to stay on the Court until her replacement was named and confirmed. On October 3, Bush nominated White House Counsel Harriet Miers to replace O'Connor. After much criticism and controversy over her nomination, on October 27, Miers asked Bush to withdraw her nomination. Bush accepted, reopening the search for O'Connor's successor. The continued delays in confirming a successor further extended O'Connor's time on the Court. She continued to hear oral argument on cases, including cases dealing with controversial issues such as physician - assisted suicide and abortion. O'Connor's last Court opinion, Ayotte v. Planned Parenthood of New England, written for a unanimous court, was a procedural decision that involved a challenge to a New Hampshire abortion law. On October 31, Bush nominated Third Circuit Judge Samuel Alito to replace O'Connor ; Alito was confirmed and sworn in on January 31, 2006. Since retiring, she has continued to hear cases and rendered over a dozen opinions in federal appellate courts across the country, filling in as a substitute judge when vacations or vacancies leave their three - member panels understaffed. Post-supreme Court career O'Connor in 2008 with then Harvard Law School Dean Elena Kagan. Kagan is the fourth female Justice on the Court. Commentary During a March 2006 speech at Georgetown University, O'Connor said some political attacks on the independence of the Courts pose a direct threat to the constitutional freedoms of Americans. She said `` any reform of the system is debatable as long as it is not motivated by ' nakedly partisan reasoning ' retaliation because congressmen or senators dislike the result of the cases. Courts interpret the law as it was written, not as the congressmen might have wished it was written '', and `` it takes a lot of degeneration before a country falls into dictatorship, but we should avoid these ends by avoiding these beginnings. '' She echoed her concerns for an independent judiciary during the dedication address at the Elon University School of Law in September of that same year. On November 19, 2008, O'Connor published an introductory essay to a themed issue on judicial accountability in the Denver University Law Review. She calls for a better public understanding of judicial accountability. On November 7, 2007, at a conference on her landmark opinion in Strickland v. Washington ( 1984 ) sponsored by the Constitution Project, O'Connor urged the creation of a system for `` merit selection for judges ''. She also highlighted the lack of proper legal representation for many of the poorest defendants. On August 7, 2008, O'Connor and Abdurrahman Wahid, former President of Indonesia, wrote an editorial in the Financial Times stating concerns about the threatened imprisonment of Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim. Following the Court 's Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission decision on corporate political spending, O'Connor offered measured criticism of the decision, telling Georgetown law students and lawyers, `` that the Court has created an unwelcome new path for wealthy interests to exert influence on judicial elections. '' O'Connor argued in favor of President Barack Obama naming the replacement for Antonin Scalia in February 2016, mere days after Scalia 's death, opposing Republican arguments that the next president should get to fill the vacancy. She said, `` I think we need somebody there to do the job now and let 's get on with it '' ; and that `` ( y ) ou just have to pick the best person you can under the circumstances, as the appointing authority must do. It 's an important position and one that we care about as a nation and as a people. And I wish the president well as he makes choices and goes down that line. It 's hard. '' Judge William H. Pryor, Jr., a conservative jurist, has criticized O'Connor's speeches and op - eds for hyperbole and factual inaccuracy, based in part on O'Connor's opinions as to whether judges face a rougher time in the public eye today than in the past. O'Connor has reflected on her time on the Supreme Court by saying that she regrets the Court hearing the Bush v. Gore case in 2000 because it `` stirred up the public '' and `` gave the Court a less - than - perfect reputation. '' The former justice told the Chicago Tribune that `` Maybe the Court should have said, ' We 're not going to take it, goodbye, '... It turned out the election authorities in Florida had n't done a real good job there and kind of messed it up. And probably the Supreme Court added to the problem at the end of the day. '' Activities and memberships As a Retired Supreme Court Justice ( roughly equivalent to senior status for judges of lower federal courts ), O'Connor has continued to receive a full salary, maintain a staffed office with at least one law clerk, and to hear cases on a part - time basis in federal district courts and courts of appeals as a visiting judge. She stated that she planned to travel, spend time with family, and, because of her fear of the attacks on judges by legislators, would work with the American Bar Association on a commission to help explain the separation of powers and the role of judges. She also announced that she was working on a new book, which will focus on the early history of the Court. She is a trustee on the board of the Rockefeller Foundation. In 2003, she wrote a book titled The Majesty of the Law : Reflections of a Supreme Court Justice ( ISBN 0 - 375 - 50925 - 9 ). On October 4, 2005, President Gene Nichol of the College of William & Mary announced that O'Connor had accepted the largely ceremonial role of becoming the 23rd Chancellor of the College, replacing Henry Kissinger, and following in the position held by Margaret Thatcher, Chief Justice Warren Burger, and President George Washington. The Investiture Ceremony was held April 7, 2006. O'Connor continued to make semi-regular visits to the college until she was succeeded in that post by former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates. In 2005, she wrote a children 's book, Chico ( ISBN 0 - 525 - 47452 - 8 ), which gives an autobiographical description of her childhood. O'Connor was a member of the 2006 Iraq Study Group, appointed by the U.S. Congress. On May 15, 2006, O'Connor gave the commencement address at the William & Mary School of Law, where she said that judicial independence is `` under serious attack at both the state and national level ''. As of Spring 2006, O'Connor teaches a two - week course called `` The Supreme Court '' at the University of Arizona 's James E. Rogers College of Law every spring semester. In October 2006, O'Connor sat as a member of panels of the United States Courts of Appeals for the Second, Eighth, and Ninth Circuits, to hear arguments in one - day 's cases in each court. O'Connor chaired the Jamestown 2007 celebration, commemorating the 400th anniversary of the founding of the colony at Jamestown, Virginia in 1607. Her appearances in Jamestown dovetailed with her appearances and speeches as chancellor at The College of William & Mary nearby. In the fall of 2007, O'Connor and W. Scott Bales taught a course at the Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law at Arizona State University. In 2008, O'Connor was named an inaugural Harry Rathbun Visiting Fellow by the Office for Religious Life at Stanford University. On April 22, 2008, she gave `` Harry 's Last Lecture on a Meaningful Life '' in honor of the former Stanford Law professor who shaped her undergraduate and law careers. In 2009, O'Connor founded the 501 ( c ) 3 non-profit organization, O'Connor House, dedicated to solving complex issues through civil discourse and collaborative action. In February 2009, O'Connor launched Our Courts, a website she created to offer interactive civics lessons to students and teachers because she was concerned about the lack of knowledge among most young Americans about how their government works. She also serves as a co-chair with Lee H. Hamilton for the Campaign for the Civic Mission of Schools. On March 3, 2009, O'Connor appeared on the satirical television program The Daily Show with Jon Stewart to promote the website. In August 2009, http://ourcourts.org/ added two online interactive games. The initiative expanded, becoming iCivics in May 2010, and continues to offer free lessons plans, games, and interactive videogames for middle and high school educators. During the inauguration of Mesa Municipal Court on April 16, 2010, she gracefully received a blessed garland -- along with a copy of Bhagavad - Gita As It Is from Dr. Prayag Narayan Misra -- a Hare Krishna devotee. The four women who have served on the Court ( from left to right : O'Connor and Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and Elena Kagan ) on October 1, 2010, prior to Justice Kagan 's Investiture Ceremony. She currently serves on the Board of Trustees of the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, which is a museum dedicated to the U.S. Constitution. She wrote the 2013 book Out of Order : Stories from the History of the Supreme Court. In April 2013, the Board of Directors of Justice at Stake, a national judicial reform advocacy organization, announced that O'Connor would be joining the organization as Honorary Chair. '' On September 17, 2014 O'Connor appeared on the television show Jeopardy ! and provided a couple of video answers to the category ' Supreme Court ' which appeared on the show. On the same day in Concord, New Hampshire, she gave a talk alongside her former colleague Justice David Souter about the importance of meaningful civics education in the United States. In March 2015, O'Connor's non-profit organization, O'Connor House, became the Sandra Day O'Connor Institute. The Institute 's focus is to create an environment where important policy decisions are made through a process of civil discussion, critical analysis of facts and informed participation of all citizens. O'Connor serves as Founder and Advisor to the O'Connor Institute. O'Connor is the Co-Chair of the National Advisory Board at the National Institute for Civil Discourse ( NICD ). The institute was created at the University of Arizona after the tragic shooting of former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords in 2011, that killed 6 people and wounded 13 others. Personal Life Upon her appointment to the Supreme Court, O'Connor and her husband moved to the Kalorama area of Washington, D.C. The O'Connors became active parts of the Washington D.C. social scene. Sandra Day O'Connor played tennis and golf in her spare time. O'Connor was successfully treated for breast cancer in 1988 ( she also had her appendix removed that year ). That same year, John O'Connor left the Washington, D.C. law firm of Miller & Chevalier for a practice which required him to split his time between Washington, D.C. and Phoenix. Her husband suffered from Alzheimer 's disease for nearly twenty years until his death in 2009, and she has become involved in raising awareness of the disease. After retiring from the Court, O'Connor moved to Phoenix, Arizona. Legacy and awards Main article : List of awards and honors received by Sandra Day O'Connor See also Biography portal List of Justices of the Supreme Court of the United States List of law clerks of the Supreme Court of the United States List of United States Chief Justices by time in office List of United States Supreme Court Justices by time in office United States Supreme Court cases during the Burger Court United States Supreme Court cases during the Rehnquist Court United States Supreme Court cases during the Roberts Court Further reading Montini, E.J. ( 2005 ) `` Rehnquist is No. 1, O'Connor is No. 3, Baloney is No. 2. '', The Arizona Republic. Retrieved March 5, 2013. O'Connor, Sandra Day & Day, H. Alan ( 2002 ). Lazy B : Growing Up on a Cattle Ranch in the American Southwest. Random House. ISBN 0 - 375 - 50724 - 8. Notes Jump up ^ https://www.supremecourt.gov/about/biographies.aspx#SOConnor Jump up ^ The date a Member of the Court took his / her Judicial oath ( the Judiciary Act provided `` That the Justices of the Supreme Court, and the district judges, before they proceed to execute the duties of their respective offices, shall take the following oath... '' ) is here used as the date of the beginning of his / her service, for until that oath is taken he / she is not vested with the prerogatives of the office. '' Source : https://www.supremecourt.gov/about/members_text.aspx Jump up ^ http://www.azcourts.gov/coa1/Former-Judges Jump up ^ https://www.superiorcourt.maricopa.gov/LawLibrary/docs/PDF/Judges/SuperiorCourtJudgesrev4.pdf Jump up ^ Weisman, Steven R. ( July 7, 1981 ). `` Reagan Nominating Woman, an Arizona Appeals Judge, to Serve on Supreme Court ''. The New York Times. Retrieved September 10, 2009. Jump up ^ `` O'Connor, Sandra Day ''. Federal Judicial Center. Archived from the original on March 6, 2004. Retrieved March 21, 2006. Jump up ^ Stevenson, R.W. ( July 1, 2005 ) O'Connor, First Woman Supreme Court Justice, Resigns After 24 Years, The New York Times. Retrieved September 10, 2005 Jump up ^ McCaslin, John ( November 7, 2001 ). `` Power Women ''. McCaslin 's Beltway Beat. Washington, D.C. : Townhall.com. Retrieved June 15, 2009... Ladies ' Home Journal,... ranks the 30 Most Powerful Women based on cultural clout, financial impact, achievement, visibility, influence, intellect, political know - how and staying power. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton ranks 5th on the list behind Miss Winfrey, Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, Martha Stewart and Barbara Walters Jump up ^ `` The World 's Most Powerful Women ''. Forbes. August 20, 2004. Archived from the original on March 15, 2009. Retrieved March 4, 2009. Jump up ^ Oyez : Sandra Day O'Connor, U.S. Supreme Court Justice ^ Jump up to : `` Book Discussion on Sisters in Law '' Presenter : Linda Hirshman, author. Politics and Prose Bookstore. BookTV, Washington. September 3, 2015. 13 minutes in. Retrieved September 12, 2015 C - Span website ^ Jump up to : Heilpern, John ( April 2013 ). `` Sandra Day O'Connor on Growing Up with Guns and Her Views on Assault Weapons ''. The Hive. Retrieved August 24, 2017. ^ Jump up to : Kamen, Al ; Williams, Marjorie ( June 11, 1989 ). `` How Sandra Day O'Connor became the most powerful woman in 1980s America ''. Washington Post. Retrieved October 29, 2017. Jump up ^ Former Pima County Supervisor Ann Day dies at the age of 77 Jump up ^ Washington Valdez, Diana ( July 2, 2005 ). `` Hometown stars -- Sandra Day O'Connor ''. El Paso Times. Retrieved December 19, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Stanford Magazine - Article ''. alumni.stanford.edu. Retrieved 2017 - 05 - 16. Jump up ^ `` Transcript : O'Connor on Fox ''. Fox News Channel. July 1, 2005. Jump up ^ Biskupic, Joan. Sandra Day O'Connor : How the First Woman on the Supreme Court became its most influential justice. New York : Harper Collins, 2005 Jump up ^ Q & A : Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor. Retrieved June 13, 2013. Jump up ^ Debbie Kornmiller, `` O'Connor's class rank an error that will not die '', Arizona Daily Star ( July 10, 2005 ). Archived at O'Connor's class rank an error that will not die. Retrieved June 13, 2013. ^ Jump up to : `` ' Out Of Order ' At The Court : O'Connor On Being The First Female Justice ''. Fresh Air. March 5, 2013. Retrieved March 5, 2013. Jump up ^ Baughman, J. ( Ed. ). ( 2001 ). O'Connor, Sandra Day 1930 -. American Decades, 9. 21. Sept. 2016. ^ Jump up to : `` John J. O'Connor III, 79 ; husband of Supreme Court justice ''. The Washington Post. November 12, 2009. Retrieved October 4, 2012. Jump up ^ Phelps, S. ( Ed. ). ( 2002 ). O'Connor, Sandra Day ( 1930 - ). World of Criminal Justice, 20. Sept. 2016. Jump up ^ `` LAPR - State Library of Arizona ''. apps.azlibrary.gov. Retrieved March 31, 2017. ^ Jump up to : Williams, Marjorie ; Williams, Marjorie ( 2016 - 03 - 29 ). `` How Sandra Day O'Connor became the most powerful woman in 1980s America ''. The Washington Post. ISSN 0190 - 8286. Retrieved 2017 - 03 - 31. Jump up ^ `` General Election Canvass, 1974, p. 5 '' ( PDF ). Arizona Secretary of State. Retrieved 25 February 2016. Jump up ^ `` SANDRA D. O'CONNOR ''. www.azcourts.gov. Retrieved March 31, 2017. ^ Jump up to : James Taranto ; Leonard Leo ( 2004 ). Presidential Leadership. Wall Street Journal Books. ISBN 978 - 0 - 7432 - 7226 - 1. Retrieved October 20, 2008. ^ Jump up to : `` 1981 Year in Review : Reagan Foreign Policy Speech / O'Connor Appointed to Supreme Court ''. Jump up ^ Transcript ( January 30, 2008 ). `` Transcript of GOP debate at Reagan Library ''. CNN. June 30, 2008. Retrieved August 27, 2009. Jump up ^ Greenburg ( 2007 ), p. 223 ^ Jump up to : Greenhouse, Linda. Becoming Justice Blackmun. Times Books ( 2005 ) ; p. 141 ^ Jump up to : Greenburg ( 2007 ), p. 222 Jump up ^ `` CQ Senate Votes 271 -- 278 '' ( PDF ). CQ Almanac. 47 -- S. 1981. Jump up ^ U.S. National Archives. `` Reagan 's Nomination of O'Connor ''. Retrieved August 19, 2014. Jump up ^ Julia Malone ( July 8, 1981 ). `` A closer look at nation 's first woman high court nominee ''. Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved May 20, 2016. Jump up ^ Julia Malone ( September 3, 1981 ). `` New Right strategy : let 's drag out O'Connor's confirmation hearing ; Focus : abortion, women 's rights, school prayer ''. Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved May 23, 2016. Jump up ^ Greenhouse, Linda ( September 10, 1981 ). `` O'Connor Hearings Open on a Note of Friendship ''. The New York Times. ISSN 0362 - 4331. Retrieved June 20, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Cameras in the Court ''. c-span.org. Retrieved October 27, 2017. ^ Jump up to : Greenhouse, Linda Greenhouse ( September 16, 1981 ). `` Panel Approves Judge O'Connor ''. The New York Times. ISSN 0362 - 4331. Retrieved June 20, 2017. Jump up ^ Greenburg ( 2007 ), pp. 222 -- 223 Jump up ^ `` Reagan 's Nomination of O'Connor ''. archives.gov. Retrieved November 7, 2015. Jump up ^ Lowe, Rebecca ( August 30, 2011 ). `` Supremely confident : the legacy of Sandra Day O'Connor ''. The Guardian. Jump up ^ Associated Press ( July 1, 2005 ). `` Sandra Day O'Connor : The reluctant justice ''. nbc.com. Retrieved May 20, 2017. Jump up ^ Greenburg ( 2007 ), p. 68 ^ Jump up to : Op - ed essay Schwartz, Herman ( April 12, 1998 ). `` O'Connor as a ' Centrist ' ? Not When Minorities Are Involved ''. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved August 28, 2009. Jump up ^ `` Nine Justices, Ten Years : A Statistical Retrospective '' ( PDF ). Harvard Law Review. 118 ( 1 ) : 521. November 2004. Archived from the original ( PDF ) on March 27, 2006. Retrieved August 31, 2011. Jump up ^ Lane, Charles ( November 1, 2004 ). `` Justices Too Tightlipped on Their Health ? ''. The Washington Post. p. A19. Retrieved December 19, 2010. Jump up ^ Greenburg ( 2007 ), pp. 122 -- 123 Jump up ^ Greenburg ( 2007 ), pp. 123, 134 Jump up ^ Greenburg ( 2007 ), p. 123 Jump up ^ Neumann, Richard K., Jr. ( 2003 ). `` Conflicts of interest in Bush v. Gore : Did some justices vote illegally ? ''. Georgetown Journal of Legal Ethics : 34. Archived from the original on 2006 - 06 - 15. The article cites multiple, uncontested sources on this and related incidents, and argues they were grounds for recusal on three separate bases : personal bias regarding a party to litigation, appearance of partiality, and material interest. ^ Jump up to : S.M. ( October 8, 2013 ). `` Endorsing the endorsement test ''. The Economist. Retrieved June 21, 2017. Jump up ^ Rosen, Jeffrey ( November 28, 2010 ). `` The TSA is invasive, annoying -- and unconstitutional ''. The Washington Post. Jump up ^ Taslitz, Andrew Reconstructing the Fourth Amendment : a history of search and seizure, 1789 -- 1868, p. 83 Jump up ^ `` Regula Pro Lege, Si Deficit Lex : The Latin Sapience of High Judges ''. The Federal Bar Association. Retrieved November 17, 2016. ^ Jump up to : O'Connor as a ' Centrist ' ? Not When Minorities Are Involved, Herman Schwartz, Los Angeles Times, April 12, 1988. Jump up ^ McCleskey v. Kemp, New Georgia Encyclopedia Jump up ^ David Baldus, et al., In The Post-Furman Era : An Empirical And Legal Overview, With Recent Findings From Philadelphia, 83 Cornell L. Rev. 1638 ( 1998 ) Jump up ^ Justice O'Connor : affirmative action should continue, archived from the original on January 18, 2012, retrieved March 9, 2012 Jump up ^ Greenhouse, Linda. Becoming Justice Blackmun. Times Books. 2005. p. 183 Jump up ^ Greenburg ( 2007 ), p. 80 Jump up ^ Greenhouse, Linda ( 2005 ), Becoming Justice Blackmun, Times Books, pp. 196 -- 197 Jump up ^ Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania v. Casey, 505 U.S. 833, 851 ( 1992 ). Jump up ^ ( in Italian ) Il diritto straniero e la Corte suprema statunitense, in Quaderni costituzionali, giugno 2006. ^ Jump up to : Remarks at the Southern Center for International Studies, Sandra Day O'Connor, October 28, 2003 Jump up ^ Phyllis Schlafly ( May 2005 ). `` Is Relying on Foreign Law Impeachable ? ''. The Phyllis Schlafly Report. Jump up ^ `` Reaffirmation of American Independence Resolution Approved '', May 13, 2004 Jump up ^ Krauthammer, Charles ( July 8, 2005 ). `` Philosophy for a Judge ''. The Washington Post. Retrieved November 18, 2005. Jump up ^ Ponnuru, Ramesh ( June 30, 2003 ). `` Sandra 's Day ''. National Review. Archived from the original on September 11, 2005. Retrieved March 18, 2007. ^ Jump up to : `` Topics : In the Name of the LawOPICS : Legal ABC 's ''. The New York Times. September 29, 1983. ISSN 0362 - 4331. Retrieved May 22, 2017. Jump up ^ `` High Court 's ' 9 Men ' Were a Surprise to One ''. The New York Times. October 12, 1983. ISSN 0362 - 4331. Retrieved June 19, 2017. Jump up ^ Clarke, Suzan ( May 27, 2010 ). `` Retired Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor Backs Elena Kagan Nomination ''. ABC News. Retrieved December 19, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Georgetown Journal of Legal Ethics : `` Conflicts of interest in Bush v. Gore : Did some justices vote illegally ? '' ``. The Georgetown Journal of Legal Ethics. 2003. Archived from the original on June 15, 2006. Retrieved November 18, 2005. ^ Jump up to : Deane, Daniela ; Branigin, William ; Barbash, Fred ( July 1, 2005 ). `` Supreme Court Justice O'Connor Resigns ''. The Washington Post. ISSN 0190 - 8286. Retrieved October 27, 2017. ^ Jump up to : Staff writer ( February 5, 2007 ). `` Former Justice O'Connor : ' I Would Have Stayed Longer ' ''. The Associated Press via NewsMax Media. Archived from the original on January 30, 2013. Retrieved August 24, 2009. Jump up ^ Landers, Rich ( October 2005 ). `` Guiding Sandra Day O'Connor ''. Field & Stream. CX : 21 -- via ProQuest. Jump up ^ Lodge, Sally ( May 28, 2009 ). `` Q & A with Sandra Day O'Connor ''. Publishers Weekly. Retrieved March 5, 2013. Jump up ^ Associated Press ( July 1, 2005 ). `` First woman to serve as US supreme court justice retires ''. The Guardian. ISSN 0261 - 3077. Retrieved October 27, 2017. ^ Jump up to : Associated Press ( October 27, 2005 ). `` O'Connor to remain crucial vote in major cases ''. msnbc.com. Retrieved October 27, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Chief Justice Rehnquist dies of thyroid cancer ''. The Denver Post. September 3, 2005. Retrieved October 27, 2017. Jump up ^ Alfano, Sean ( September 7, 2005 ). `` Rehnquist Given Final Farewell ''. Retrieved October 27, 2017. Jump up ^ Sandalow, Marc ( September 5, 2005 ). `` The Supreme Court in Transition : The death of William Rehnquist / Chief justice 's passing provides Bush with major opportunity ''. SFGate. Retrieved October 27, 2017. ^ Jump up to : `` Bush nominates Roberts as chief justice ''. www.cnn.com. September 6, 2005. Retrieved October 28, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Bush picks White House counsel for Supreme Court ''. www.cnn.com. October 4, 2005. Retrieved October 28, 2017. ^ Jump up to : Babington, Charles ; Fletcher, Michael A. ( October 28, 2005 ). `` Miers, Under Fire From Right, Withdrawn as Court Nominee ''. ISSN 0190 - 8286. Retrieved October 28, 2017. Jump up ^ `` The Supreme Court 2005 Term -- Leading Cases '' ( PDF ). Harvard Law Review. 120 : 295. 2006. Jump up ^ `` Bush nominates Alito to Supreme Court ''. www.cnn.com. November 1, 2005. Retrieved 2017 - 10 - 28. Jump up ^ `` Alito sworn in as nation 's 110th Supreme Court justice ''. www.cnn.com. February 1, 2006. Retrieved October 27, 2017. Jump up ^ Bravin, Jess ( August 11, 2009 ). `` Change of Venue : In Retirement, Justice O'Connor Still Rules ''. The Wall Street Journal. Jump up ^ `` O'Connor Decries Republican Attacks on Courts ''. Jump up ^ Judicial Accountability Must Safeguard, Not Threaten, Judicial Independence : An Introduction, 86 Denv. U.L. Rev. 1 ( 2008 ) Jump up ^ `` Justice O'Connor's Wish : a Wand, not a Gavel '', U.S. News & World Report, November 7, 2007. Jump up ^ `` To defend Anwar is to defend Malaysian democracy '', Sandra Day O'Connor and Abdurrahman Wahid, Financial Times, August 7, 2008 Jump up ^ Mosk, Matthew ( January 26, 2010 ). `` O'Connor Calls Citizens United Ruling A Problem ''. ABC News. Retrieved December 19, 2010. Jump up ^ Cristian Farias, `` Sandra Day O'Connor Says Obama Should Get To Replace Justice Scalia '', Huffington Post, ( February 17, 2016 ). Jump up ^ Pryor Jr, William H. ( October 4, 2006 ). `` Neither Force Nor Will, But Merely Judgment ''. The Wall Street Journal. Jump up ^ `` Judge Pryor on Judicial Independence '' Archived September 27, 2007, at the Wayback Machine., Harvard Law Record, March 15, 2007. Jump up ^ `` O'Connor questions court 's decision to take Bush v. Gore ''. Chicago Tribune. April 27, 2013. Jump up ^ Granite State Ins. Co. v. Am. Bldg. Materials, Inc., No. 12 - 10979, 11th Circuit, 2013 Jump up ^ http://digitalcommons.law.villanova.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1022&context=thirdcircuit_2014 Jump up ^ `` The College of William and Mary announcement of O'Connor's appointment to Chancellor post ''. Retrieved November 18, 2005. Jump up ^ Whitson, Brian. `` Former Defense Secretary Robert Gates ' 65 to Serve as W&M Chancellor ''. College of William & Mary. Retrieved September 6, 2011. Jump up ^ `` Iraq Study Group Members ''. Archived from the original on November 8, 2006. Retrieved November 10, 2006. Jump up ^ Whitson, Brian. `` Maintain Judicial Independence O'Connor Tells Law Graduates ''. Archived from the original on September 8, 2006. Retrieved September 19, 2007. Jump up ^ Mulcahy, Ned ( October 7, 2006 ). `` Paper Chase : O'Connor to hear Second Circuit cases ''. Jurist. Archived from the original on October 17, 2006. Retrieved November 11, 2006. Jump up ^ Office for Religious Life at Stanford University Jump up ^ `` Campaign Steering Committee ''. Civicmissionofschools.org. Retrieved November 2, 2015. Jump up ^ Zehr, Mary Ann ( August 25, 2009 ). `` Celebrities Lend Weight to Promote Civics Education ''. Education Week. Retrieved September 1, 2009. Jump up ^ `` iCivics ( formerly Our Courts ) homepage ''. Retrieved December 19, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Bhagavad Gita As It Is Original by Prabhupada ''. Asitis.com. Retrieved November 2, 2015. Jump up ^ `` Krishna Consciousness, Golden Rule, Interfaith and Judges ''. Dandavats. Retrieved November 2, 2015. Jump up ^ `` National Constitution Center, Board of Trustees ''. National Constitution Center Web Site. National Constitution Center. July 26, 2010. Archived from the original on July 27, 2010. Retrieved July 27, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Bumpy Start for a Court Cloaked in Grandeur ''. The New York Times. March 4, 2013. Retrieved March 4, 2013. Jump up ^ `` Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor Joins Justice at Stake as Honorary Chair ''. Justiceatstake.org. April 15, 2013. Retrieved November 2, 2015. Jump up ^ `` Constitutionally Speaking New Hampshire ''. Constitutionallyspeakingnh.org. Retrieved November 2, 2015. Jump up ^ ' O'Connor Has Breast Surgery To Stop Cancer, ' the New York Times, Linda Greenhouse. October 22, 1988 Bibliography Greenburg, Jan Crawford ( 2007 ). Supreme Conflict : the Inside Story of the Struggle for Control of the United States Supreme Court. Penguin Books. External links Library resources about Sandra Day O'Connor Resources in your library Resources in other libraries By Sandra Day O'Connor Online books Resources in your library Resources in other libraries Wikiquote has quotations related to : Sandra Day O'Connor Wikisource has original works written by or about : Sandra Day O'Connor Sandra Day O'Connor at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a public domain publication of the Federal Judicial Center. Sandra Day O'Connor at Ballotpedia Issue positions and quotes at OnTheIssues Appearances on C - SPAN Booknotes interview with O'Connor on Lazy B : Growing Up On a Cattle Ranch in the American Southwest, January 27, 2002. iCivics.org, project to teach children civics, O'Connor is Chairman of the Board Sandra Day O'Connor Video produced by Makers : Women Who Make America Additional information Works related to Works by Sandra Day O'Connor at Wikisource Read Congressional Research Service ( CRS ) Reports regarding Justice O'Connor `` O'Connor not bothered by delayed retirement. '', The Associated Press September 28, 2005. `` Sandra Day O'Connor prepares for final days on Supreme Court. '', The Associated Press September 19, 2005. Cases in which O'Connor has been the deciding vote ( July 1, 2005 ) Farewell comments from her fellow justices ( July 1, 2005 ) Centrist justice sought ' social stability ' An Interview with Justice Sandra Day O'Connor Third Branch ( August 2009 ) Supreme Court Associate Justice Nomination Hearings on Sandra Day O'Connor in September 1981 United States Government Publishing Office Legal offices Preceded by Potter Stewart Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States 1981 -- 2006 Succeeded by Samuel Alito Academic offices Preceded by Henry Kissinger Chancellor of the College of William and Mary 2005 -- 2012 Succeeded by Robert Gates Current U.S. order of precedence ( ceremonial ) Preceded by John Paul Stevens as Senior Associate Justice of the Supreme Court Order of Precedence of the United States as Senior Associate Justice of the Supreme Court Succeeded by David Souter as Senior Associate Justice of the Supreme Court Order of precedence in the United States of America * The President The Vice President The Governor ( of the state in which the event is held ) The Speaker of the House The Chief Justice Former President Carter Former President GHW Bush Former President Clinton Former President GW Bush Former President Obama Ambassadors of the United States The Secretary of State The Associate Justices Retired Justice Stevens Retired Justice O'Connor Retired Justice Souter The President 's Cabinet The President Pro Tempore of the Senate The Senate The Governors of the States ( by order of statehood ) Former Vice President Mondale Former Vice President Quayle Former Vice President Gore Former Vice President Cheney Former Vice President Biden The House of Representatives * not including acting officeholders, visiting dignitaries, auxiliary executive and military personnel and most diplomats Members of the Iraq Study Group Chairs James Baker ( Co-chair ) Lee Hamilton ( Co-chair ) Members Vernon Jordan, Jr. Edwin Meese Sandra Day O'Connor Leon Panetta William Perry Chuck Robb Alan Simpson Lawrence Eagleburger Resigned prior to final report Robert Gates Rudy Giuliani Texas Women 's Hall of Fame 1984 Christia Adair Kate Atkinson Bell Vivian Castleberry Lila Cockrell Clotilde Garcia Jeane Porter Hester Oveta Culp Hobby Mary Evelyn Blagg Huey Sarah T. Hughes Lady Bird Johnson Barbara Jordan Amy Freeman Lee 1985 Benjy Frances Brooks Patricia Happ Buffler Liz Carpenter Grace Woodruff Cartwright Helen Farabee Maria Elena Flood Willie Lee Glass Lydia Mendoza Jenny Lind Porter Louise Raggio Ann Richards Edna Gardner Whyte 1986 Anne Armstrong Mary Kay Ash Caro Crawford Brown Alicia Chacon Jody Conradt Margaret Cousins ( Texas ) Wilhelmina Ruth Delco Frances Goff Mary Lavinia Griffith May Owen Sally Ride Ada Simond Hermine Tobolowsky Lucy G. Acosta Ruth Sharp Altshuler Margaret Harris Amsler Johnnie Benson Tommie Clack Kim Dawson Lillian Dunlap Elithe Hamilton Kirkland Donna Lopiano Katie Sherrod Donnya Stephens Dora Dougherty Strother Mary Nan West 1988 Nancy Brinker Margaret Pease Harper Ninfa Laurenzo Lane Murray Louise Ritter Ruth Taubert Seeger Bert Kruger Smith Eleanor Tinsley 1989 Barbara Bush Judith Craven Gussie Nell Davis Margaret Swan Forbes L. Ruth Guy Terry Hershey Lucia Rede Madrid Jane Wetzel 1993 Linda Louise Craft Ernestine Glossbrenner Gabrielle Kirk McDonald Eleanor Montague Aaronetta Hamilton Pierce Gloria G. Rodriguez Annette Strauss 1994 Rosa Ramirez Guerrero Irma Rangel Mary Beth Rogers Bess Whitehead Scott Hallie Stillwell Francie Larrieu Smith Alvia Wardlaw Martha Wong Eleanor Anne Young Ebby Halliday Acers Rita Crocker Clements Zina Garrison Sybil Harrington Kay Bailey Hutchison Vassar Miller Helen Oujesky Ruby Lee Piester Dian Graves Stai S. Eva Singletary 1998 Norma Lea Beasley Shirley Thompson Carter Elizabeth Lyons Ghrist Kay Granger Dixie Melillo Diana Natalicio Marsha Sharp 2000 Tillie Burgin Carol Dinkins Anna Maria Farias Juliet V. García Glenna Goodacre Wendy Harpham Jinger L. Heath Dealey Herndon Mamie L. McKnight Jo Stewart Randel Judy Rankin 2002 Karen Hughes Mae Jemison Angela Murdaugh Ann Williams Susan Combs Trinidad Mendenhall Mary Meyers Rosenfield Sheryl Swoopes 2006 Amanda Dunbar Kathleen Foster Shirley Neeley Ellen Vitetta 2008 Elsa Murano Sandra Day O'Connor Carolyn Peterson Louise Hopkins Underwood Huda Zoghbi Nancy W. Dickey Erma Johnson Hadley Teresa Lozano Long Judy Castle Scott Pamela Willeford 2012 Barbara Smith Conrad Anne Corn Nina Godiwalla Harriet O'Neill Mary Saunders 2014 Nandita Berry Joanne Herring Kim Olson Anita Perry Ann Stuart Senfronia Thompson Deborah Tucker Carolyn Wright 2016 Emma Carter Browning Susie Hitchcock - Hall Ginger Kerrick Renu Khator Selena Inductees to the National Women 's Hall of Fame 1970 -- 1979 1973 Jane Addams Marian Anderson Susan B. Anthony Clara Barton Mary McLeod Bethune Elizabeth Blackwell Pearl S. Buck Rachel Carson Mary Cassatt Emily Dickinson Amelia Earhart Alice Hamilton Helen Hayes Helen Keller Eleanor Roosevelt Florence Sabin Margaret Chase Smith Elizabeth Cady Stanton Helen Brooke Taussig Harriet Tubman 1976 Abigail Adams Margaret Mead Mildred `` Babe '' Didrikson Zaharias 1979 Dorothea Dix Juliette Gordon Low Alice Paul Elizabeth Bayley Seton 1980 -- 1989 1981 Margaret Sanger Sojourner Truth 1982 Carrie Chapman Catt Frances Perkins Belva Lockwood Lucretia Mott 1984 Mary `` Mother '' Harris Jones Bessie Smith 1986 Barbara McClintock Lucy Stone Harriet Beecher Stowe 1988 Gwendolyn Brooks Willa Cather Sally Ride Ida B. Wells - Barnett 1990 -- 1999 1990 Margaret Bourke - White Barbara Jordan Billie Jean King Florence B. Seibert 1991 Gertrude Belle Elion 1993 Ethel Percy Andrus Antoinette Blackwell Emily Blackwell Shirley Chisholm Jacqueline Cochran Ruth Colvin Marian Wright Edelman Alice Evans Betty Friedan Ella Grasso Martha Wright Griffiths Fannie Lou Hamer Dorothy Height Dolores Huerta Mary Jacobi Mae Jemison Mary Lyon Mary Mahoney Wilma Mankiller Constance Baker Motley Georgia O'Keeffe Annie Oakley Rosa Parks Esther Peterson Jeannette Rankin Ellen Swallow Richards Elaine Roulet Katherine Siva Saubel Gloria Steinem Helen Stephens Lillian Wald Madam C.J. Walker Faye Wattleton Rosalyn S. Yalow Gloria Yerkovich 1994 Bella Abzug Ella Baker Myra Bradwell Annie Jump Cannon Jane Cunningham Croly Catherine East Geraldine Ferraro Charlotte Perkins Gilman Grace Hopper Helen LaKelly Hunt Zora Neale Hurston Anne Hutchinson Frances Wisebart Jacobs Susette La Flesche Louise McManus Maria Mitchell Antonia Novello Linda Richards Wilma Rudolph Betty Bone Schiess Muriel Siebert Nettie Stevens Oprah Winfrey Sarah Winnemucca Fanny Wright 1995 Virginia Apgar Ann Bancroft Amelia Bloomer Mary Breckinridge Eileen Collins Elizabeth Hanford Dole Anne Dallas Dudley Mary Baker Eddy Ella Fitzgerald Margaret Fuller Matilda Joslyn Gage Lillian Moller Gilbreth Nannerl O. Keohane Maggie Kuhn Sandra Day O'Connor Josephine St. Pierre Ruffin Pat Schroeder Hannah Greenebaum Solomon Louisa May Alcott Charlotte Anne Bunch Frances Xavier Cabrini Mary A. Hallaren Oveta Culp Hobby Wilhelmina Cole Holladay Anne Morrow Lindbergh Maria Goeppert - Mayer Ernestine Louise Potowski Rose Maria Tallchief Edith Wharton 1998 Madeleine Albright Maya Angelou Nellie Bly Lydia Moss Bradley Mary Steichen Calderone Mary Ann Shadd Cary Joan Ganz Cooney Gerty Cori Sarah Grimké Julia Ward Howe Shirley Ann Jackson Shannon Lucid Katharine Dexter McCormick Rozanne L. Ridgway Edith Nourse Rogers Felice Schwartz Eunice Kennedy Shriver Beverly Sills Florence Wald Angelina Grimké Weld Chien - Shiung Wu 2000 -- 2009 2000 Faye Glenn Abdellah Emma Smith DeVoe Marjory Stoneman Douglas Mary Dyer Sylvia A. Earle Crystal Eastman Jeanne Holm Leontine T. Kelly Frances Oldham Kelsey Kate Mullany Janet Reno Anna Howard Shaw Sophia Smith Ida Tarbell Wilma L. Vaught Mary Edwards Walker Annie Dodge Wauneka Eudora Welty Frances E. Willard 2001 Dorothy H. Andersen Lucille Ball Rosalynn Carter Lydia Maria Child Bessie Coleman Dorothy Day Marian de Forest Althea Gibson Beatrice A. Hicks Barbara Holdridge Harriet Williams Russell Strong Emily Howell Warner Victoria Woodhull 2002 Paulina Kellogg Wright Davis Ruth Bader Ginsburg Katharine Graham Bertha Holt Mary Engle Pennington Mercy Otis Warren 2003 Linda G. Alvarado Donna de Varona Gertrude Ederle Martha Matilda Harper Patricia Roberts Harris Stephanie L. Kwolek Dorothea Lange Mildred Robbins Leet Patsy Takemoto Mink Sacagawea Anne Sullivan Sheila E. Widnall 2005 Florence Ellinwood Allen Ruth Fulton Benedict Betty Bumpers Hillary Clinton Rita Rossi Colwell Mother Marianne Cope Maya Y. Lin Patricia A. Locke Blanche Stuart Scott Mary Burnett Talbert 2007 Eleanor K. Baum Julia Child Martha Coffin Pelham Wright Swanee Hunt Winona LaDuke Elisabeth Kübler - Ross Judith L. Pipher Catherine Filene Shouse Henrietta Szold 2009 Louise Bourgeois Mildred Cohn Karen DeCrow Susan Kelly - Dreiss Allie B. Latimer Emma Lazarus Ruth Patrick Rebecca Talbot Perkins Susan Solomon Kate Stoneman 2010 -- 2019 2011 St. Katharine Drexel Dorothy Harrison Eustis Loretta C. Ford Abby Kelley Foster Helen Murray Free Billie Holiday Coretta Scott King Lilly Ledbetter Barbara A. Mikulski Donna E. Shalala Kathrine Switzer 2013 Betty Ford Ina May Gaskin Julie Krone Kate Millett Nancy Pelosi Mary Joseph Rogers Bernice Sandler Anna Schwartz Emma Willard 2015 Tenley Albright Nancy Brinker Martha Graham Marcia Greenberger Barbara Iglewski Jean Kilbourne Carlotta Walls LaNier Philippa Marrack Mary Harriman Rumsey Eleanor Smeal 2017 Matilda Cuomo Temple Grandin Lorraine Hansberry Victoria Jackson Sherry Lansing Clare Boothe Luce Aimee Mullins Carol Mutter Janet Rowley Alice Waters Chancellors of the College of William & Mary Henry Compton ( 1693 -- 1700 ) Thomas Tenison ( 1700 -- 1707 ) Henry Compton ( 1707 -- 1713 ) John Robinson ( 1714 -- 1721 ) William Wake ( 1721 -- 1729 ) Edmund Gibson ( 1729 -- 1736 ) William Wake ( 1736 -- 1737 ) Edmund Gibson ( 1737 -- 1748 ) Thomas Sherlock ( 1749 -- 1761 ) Thomas Hayter ( 1762 ) Charles Wyndham ( 1762 -- 1763 ) Philip Yorke ( 1764 ) Richard Terrick ( 1764 -- 1776 ) George Washington ( 1788 -- 1799 ) Vacant ( 1800 -- 1858 ) John Tyler ( 1859 -- 1862 ) Vacant ( 1863 -- 1870 ) Hugh Blair Grigsby ( 1871 -- 1881 ) Vacant ( 1882 -- 1941 ) John Stewart Bryan ( 1942 -- 1944 ) Vacant ( 1945 ) Colgate Darden ( 1946 -- 1947 ) Vacant ( 1948 -- 1961 ) Alvin Duke Chandler ( 1962 -- 1974 ) Vacant ( 1975 -- 1985 ) Warren E. Burger ( 1986 -- 1993 ) Margaret Thatcher ( 1993 -- 2000 ) Henry Kissinger ( 2000 -- 2005 ) Sandra Day O'Connor ( 2005 -- 2012 ) Robert Gates ( 2012 -- ) Judicial opinions of Sandra Day O'Connor Maricopa County, Arizona Superior Court ( 1975 -- 1979 ) ; Arizona Court of Appeals ( 1980 -- 1981 ) 1975 -- 1981 Supreme Court of the United States ( September 25, 1981 -- January 31, 2006 ) ; by term 1981 1982 1984 1985 1986 1988 1989 1990 1991 1993 1994 1995 2001 Justices of the Supreme Court of the United States Chief Justice Jay J. Rutledge Ellsworth J. Marshall Taney S.P. Chase Waite Fuller E. White Taft Hughes Stone Vinson Warren Burger Rehnquist J. Roberts Seat 1 J. Rutledge T. Johnson Paterson Livingston Thompson Nelson Hunt Blatchford E. White Van Devanter Black Powell Kennedy Seat 2 Cushing Story Woodbury Curtis Clifford Gray Holmes Cardozo Frankfurter Goldberg Fortas Blackmun Breyer Seat 3 Wilson Washington Baldwin Grier Strong Woods L. Lamar H. Jackson Peckham Lurton McReynolds Byrnes W. Rutledge Minton Brennan Souter Sotomayor Seat 4 Blair S. Chase Duvall Barbour Daniel Miller Brown Moody J. Lamar Brandeis Douglas Stevens Kagan Seat 5 Iredell Moore W. Johnson Wayne Seat 6 Todd Trimble McLean Swayne Matthews Brewer Hughes Clarke Sutherland Reed Whittaker White Ginsburg Seat 7 Catron Seat 8 McKinley Campbell Davis Harlan Pitney Sanford O. Roberts Burton Stewart O'Connor Alito Seat 9 Field McKenna Stone R. Jackson Harlan II Rehnquist Scalia Gorsuch Seat 10 Bradley Shiras Day Butler Murphy Clark T. Marshall Thomas Note : Seats 5 and 7 are defunct Supreme Court of the United States The Burger Court Chief Justice : Warren E. Burger ( 1969 -- 1986 ) 1981 -- 1986 : Wm. J. Brennan B. White T. Marshall H. Blackmun L.F. Powell Jr. Wm. Rehnquist J.P. Stevens S.D. O'Connor The Rehnquist Court Chief Justice : William Rehnquist ( 1986 -- 2005 ) 1986 -- 1987 : Wm. J. Brennan B. White T. Marshall H. Blackmun L.F. Powell Jr. J.P. Stevens S.D. O'Connor A. Scalia 1988 -- 1990 : Wm. J. Brennan B. White T. Marshall H. Blackmun J.P. Stevens S.D. O'Connor A. Scalia A. Kennedy 1990 -- 1991 : B. White T. Marshall H. Blackmun J.P. Stevens S.D. O'Connor A. Scalia A. Kennedy D. Souter 1991 -- 1993 : B. White H. Blackmun J.P. Stevens S.D. O'Connor A. Scalia A. Kennedy D. Souter C. Thomas 1993 -- 1994 : H. Blackmun J.P. Stevens S.D. O'Connor A. Scalia A. Kennedy D. Souter C. Thomas R.B. Ginsburg 1994 -- 2005 : J.P. Stevens S.D. O'Connor A. Scalia A. Kennedy D. Souter C. Thomas R.B. Ginsburg S. Breyer The Roberts Court Chief Justice : John Roberts ( 2005 -- present ) 2005 -- 2006 : J.P. Stevens S.D. O'Connor A. Scalia A. Kennedy D. Souter C. Thomas R.B. Ginsburg S. Breyer VIAF : 118097205 LCCN : n81123693 ISNI : 0000 0001 0939 098X GND : 119502976 SUDOC : 073270997 BNF : cb12432801s ( data ) BIBSYS : 4078386 SNAC : w6668jgp Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sandra_Day_O%27Connor&oldid=825913299 '' Categories : 1930 births Living people American people of Irish descent 20th - century American judges 21st - century American judges American Episcopalians American women lawyers American prosecutors American women judges Arizona lawyers Arizona Republicans Arizona state court judges Arizona State Senators Breast cancer survivors California lawyers Chancellors of the College of William & Mary Fellows of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences People from El Paso, Texas People from Greenlee County, Arizona People from Phoenix, Arizona Politicians from Phoenix, Arizona Presidential Medal of Freedom recipients Rockefeller Foundation Stanford Law School alumni Stanford University trustees Justices of the Supreme Court of the United States United States federal judges appointed by Ronald Reagan Writers from Arizona Writers from Texas Women state legislators in Arizona Cowgirl Hall of Fame inductees Hidden categories : Articles with Italian - language external links Articles containing Italian - language text Webarchive template wayback links Use mdy dates from January 2016 All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from October 2017 Articles with unsourced statements from September 2010 Articles with unsourced statements from November 2009 Wikipedia articles needing clarification from May 2017 Articles with unsourced statements from October 2010 All articles with vague or ambiguous time Vague or ambiguous time from April 2017 Pages using div col without cols and colwidth parameters Wikipedia articles incorporating text from the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges Wikipedia articles with VIAF identifiers Wikipedia articles with LCCN identifiers Wikipedia articles with ISNI identifiers Wikipedia articles with GND identifiers Wikipedia articles with BNF identifiers Wikipedia articles with BIBSYS identifiers Wikipedia articles with SNAC - ID identifiers Talk Contents About Wikipedia Wikiquote Wikisource Bân - lâm - gú Dansk Deitsch Deutsch Español Esperanto فارسی Français 한국어 Italiano עברית मराठी Nederlands 日本 語 Norsk Polski Português Română Русский Scots Simple English Српски / srpski Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски Suomi Svenska 中文 Edit links This page was last edited on 16 February 2018, at 03 : 37. 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Question: who was the first woman appointed to the supreme court
Answer: Sandra Day O'Connor