The Princeton union., 1911-11-02
INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT
UNITED STATES SUPREME COURT
Eight of the Justices Have
Served For More Than
Thirty Years.

eyesight was failing. Then John
quincy Adams was selected, but he
refused because he preferred diplo.
macy and wanted to remain minister
to Russia. Joseph Story became the
Massachusetts member of the court
and the other appointment went to
Duvall Of Maryland.
No Vacancy In Twelve Years.
Between 1911 and 1928 there were
no vacancies. This is the longest De-
ROD in its history that the court has
remained unchanged. Just at the end
OF his eight years in the presidency
Monroe had the opportunity to fill a
vacancy by the appointment of Smith
Thompson, in 1928, to succeed Brock
hoist Livingston. J. @. Adams sole
appointee was Robert Trimble Of Ken
lucky, who sat on the bench only two
years.
Jackson, in his eight years in the
presidency, filed a majority of the
seats on the supreme court bench with
his own appointees. These were Chief
Justice Taney and Associate Justices
Mclean Of Ohio, Baldwin Of Pennsyl-
vania, Wayne Of Georgia and Barbour
Of Virginia.
Van Buren, soon after he became
president, filled the two new places
created by an act Of 1887. His first
appointee, William Smith of Alabama,
declined, and he named Catron Of Ten
nessee and Mckinley of Alabama.
William Henry Harrison was the first
president to have no opportunity to
make appointments to the supreme
bench, but Tyler, who followed him,
appointed two justices. The second
president who made no appointments
was Zachary Taylor, but he, like Har-
r1son, was but short time in office.
Fillmore, who succeeded him, appoint
ed one. Polk, Pierce and Buchanan
had the appointment of only one JUS
tice each.
Lincoln who chose five, including
Chief Justice Chase, was able to fill
one newly created place. This was
for the new circuit created on the Pa
cific slope. to which he appointed Ste
phen j. Field. johnson, as already re-
called, was prevented from making ap-
polntments to the court by having it
cut down in size. Grants first appoint
ment was Edwin NJ Stanton, who,
however, never served, as he died four
days after his confirmation by the SEN
ate. Hayes appointed but two JUS
tees, one of whom was the late JUS
t1ce Harlan. Garfield, in his brief
term, selected one justice, Stanley
Matthews of Ohio, while his successor,
Arthur, appointed two, Gray Of Massa-
chusetts and Blatchford of New York.
Cleveland appointed two justices in
each of his two terms Mckinley ap-
pointed but one, Justice McKenna of
California. OF Roosevelt's three ap-
pointees, Holmes, Day and Moody, all
but the last are still members of the
court.
Story Was the Youngest.
Story was the youngest man ever
appointed to the supreme court bench.
He was only thirty-two when he was
commissioned. Bushrod Washington
was thirty-six. Most of the members.
especially in recent years, have been
well along in their forties at the be-
of their service. The shortest
terms of those who actually partiei-
pated in the proceedings Of the court
were those of Thomas Johnson Of
Maryland, one of Washington's ap-
pointees; Trimble of Kentucky and
Howell e. Jackson of Tennessee, the
Democrat whom Benjamin Harrison
appointed to the bench just before
leaving office. Each served but two
years.
Eight justices have served on the
bench more than thirty years. These
were Bushrod Washington, thirty-one
years, 1898 to 1929; John Marshall.
thirty-four years, 1901 to 1885; Will
liam johnson, thirty years, 1904 to
1884; Joseph Story, thirty-four years,
1911 to 1916; John Mclean, thirty-two
years, 1929 to 1861; James NJ. Wayne,
thirty-four years, 1885 to 1867; Stephen
j. Field, thirty-four years, 1863 to
1897, and John M. Harlan, thirty-four
years, 1877 to 1911. OF the present
members Of the court the Oldest in
term of service is Chief Justice Ed
ward D. White, who was appointed
as an associate justice in 1898, in the
first year Of Cleveland's second term.
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