In 1959, President Dwight D. Eisenhower appointed him to replace Sanborn on the Eighth Circuit. Blackmun retired at the close of the Supreme Court's 1993-94 term. His authorship of Roe vs. Wade made him the most vilified court member in history. He reportedly received more than 60,000 pieces of hate mail during the two decades after the decision. Blackmun is survived by his wife Dorothy and three daughters.
Funeral arrangements are pending.