Evening star., 1962-03-31
Byron White
|sAppointed
To High Court
Kennedy Selects
No. z Justice Man; ;
Decision Hailed
BY MIRIAM GUTENBERG
Star Staff Writer

~A S~AA "AANNA
Deputy Attorney General By
ron R. (Whizzer) White, former
All-America halfback and
Rhodes scholar. will succeed
Justice Charles Evans Whit
taker on the Supreme Court.
President Kennedy personally
announced his selection to the
court at a brief press confer
ence in his office last night.
The action came only a day
after Justice Whittaker's retire
ment on doctors orders, effec-
tive tomorrow. was announced.
Mr.. Kennedy. in telling of
Mr.. Whites selection, said the
44-year-old Coloradan has ex-
celled in everything he has at
tempted"
First Senate reaction to Mr..
White was favorable. Demo-
cratic Leader Mansfield said
he couldn't be happier" Sen
ate Republican Leader Dirksen
described Mr.. White as lone
of those solid people who makes
a decision and stands by it,"
Senator Carroll, Democrat of
Colorado, predicted early con-
firmation.
Highly Regarded
GAS a member of the Senate
Judiciary Committee" Senator
Carroll said, II can say that
Mr.. White is highly regarded by
the committee. 1 anticipate
that his appointment will be
approved Overwhelmingly by
the committee and the Senate
within short time"
The Presidents selection also
was hailed by the American
Bar Associations Standing
Committee on Federal Judi
ciary, which Endorsed Mr..
White as Exceptionally we'll
qualified.
However, Representative
Meader. Republican of Mich
igan, member of the House
Judiciary Committee, disagreed.
He said the Chief Executive
had delivered the court a
devastating blow by appoint
ing totally unqualified polit-
lcal minion to a post regarded
by every lawyer and every citi-
zen as the acme of legal attain
ment."
Mr.. Kennedy. said Mr.
Meader, has shown his con-
tempt for the Supreme Court,
the law, the legal profession
and the people of the United
States"
Mr.. White was presiding at
a board meeting of the Social
Science Foundation at the Uni
verSity of Colorado yesterday
when a secretary slipped in
with the message that an
urgent telephone call from the
White House awaited him.
Phones to Wife
After the call, Mr.. White
called his wife in Washington
and Mr.. Kennedy called the
press to his office.
In Denver, Mr.. White said,
I'm very happy the President
has the confidence in me to
nominate me and I'll try to
justify his confidence. It's a
very large undertaking."
He said he planned to visit
his parents Mr.. and Mrs.
Albert A. White in his home
town of Fort Collins, Colo, !
before returning here.
At the White House, the
FreSlQenC reaQ CnlS statement |
to the press:
THE President of the United
States has few more exacting
responsibilities than the ap-
pointment of justices to the |
United States Supreme Court. /
I am delighted to announce
today that Byron White, the
Deputy Attorney General of
the United States, has accepted |
appointment as Associate JUS
tice of the Supreme Court. I
have known Mr.. White for over
20 years. His character, exper-
ience and intellectual force
qualify him superbly for service
on the Nations highest
tribunal.
His varied experience in
legal practice. in Government,
See JUSTICE, Page AS