William K . Suter William Kent Suter ( born August 24 , 1937 ) is an American jurist who served as the 19th Clerk of the Supreme Court of the United States , a position he has held for over twenty years . Prior to this , he was a major general in the United States Army ; at the time of his retirement in 1991 , he had served for over a year as the acting Judge Advocate General . Early life and education . Born in Portsmouth , Ohio , Suter was raised in Millersburg , Kentucky , where he attended the Millersburg Military Institute from grades 1 to 12 . A talented basketball player , he received a scholarship to attend Trinity University in San Antonio , eventually obtaining a Bachelor of Arts degree from there in 1959 . Deciding to pursue a law degree , Suter took advantage of an academic scholarship from the Tulane University School of Law , graduating in 1962 . That same year , he was admitted to the Louisiana State Bar . Army career . Early career . While at Trinity , Suter was involved in the school ' s ROTC program . At Fort Hood in 1958 , he had the opportunity to meet Elvis Presley , who was going through basic training at the time . After graduating from a basic armor officer ' s course , Suter attended the Judge Advocate General ' s School in Charlottesville , Virginia . As a captain in the mid - 1960s , Suter was a popular instructor of administrative law to hundreds of new judge advocates attending their initial training at the JAG School . Before moving on to his next assignment in Thailand , he attended airborne training at Fort Benning , Georgia where he earned his parachutist badge . In 1971 , he volunteered for service in Vietnam and was assigned as the Chief , Law Division in Long Binh . After less than four months , Suter was made Deputy Staff Judge of U . S . forces in Vietnam . A young leader . A year later , Suter became the Assistant for Plans in the Judge Advocate General ' s Corps Plans , Personnel and Training Office and worked at the Pentagon . Following graduation from the Command and General Staff School at Fort Leavenworth , Kansas in 1974 , Suter was moved to Fort Campbell , Kentucky and made a Staff Judge Advocate for the 101st Airborne Division , where his division commander was future Army Chief of Staff John A . Wickham . Coincidentally , Suter also served with future Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Secretary of State Colin L . Powell while with the 101st . In 1979 , Suter returned to the Judge Advocate General ' s School . After spending two years as deputy commandant , the then - colonel was made commandant of the school in 1981 . Following his promotion to brigadier general , Suter was assigned as Commander , U . S . Army Legal Services Agency and Chief Judge , US . Army Court of Military Review ( now called the U . S . Army Court of Criminal Appeals ) , holding that position from July 3 , 1984 to July 31 , 1985 . Assistant Judge Advocate General . With the succession of Major General Hugh R . Overholt to Judge Advocate General of the United States Army , the position of Assistant Judge Advocate General would be left vacant , so , in 1985 , President Ronald Reagan nominated Suter for promotion to major general and reassignment as TAJAG ; on August 1 of that year , he was sworn in . When Overholt retired in mid - 1989 , President George H . W . Bush nominated Suter to be made Judge Advocate General of the Army . While his nomination was pending in the Senate , Suter , as the highest - ranking officer in the U . S . Army JAG Corps , was made the acting Judge Advocate General . After a number of months , his and other nominations were returned with criticism of the organization . JAG personnel actions from 1982 were linked to allegations of unlawful command influence in the 3rd Armored Division . ( See Senate Report 102 - 1 , 102nd Congress , 1st Session ( Jan . 3 , 1991 ) ) Ironically , the Court of Military Review under Chief Judge Suter reversed a number of court - martial convictions arising from these allegations . In February 1991 , after nearly thirty years of service , Suter retired from the Army , receiving a Distinguished Service Medal . His other awards include the Bronze Star , which he was given for his service in Vietnam , and the Meritorious Service Medal . Clerk of the Supreme Court . When Clerk of the Supreme Court Joseph F . Spaniol , Jr . announced his plans to retire at the end of 1990 , Chief Justice of the United States William Rehnquist selected General Suter to take his place . Originally planning to settle down after leaving the Army , Suter jumped at the opportunity , starting immediately after his retirement . Suter is a prolific speaker about the Court . A popular figure in the national bar , he has received numerous honors for his frequent outreach efforts , including honorary degrees . He has been a leader among retired judge advocates and a mentor to hundreds of lawyers . After stepping down from the Court , Associate Justice Sandra Day O ' Connor recognized Suter for his hard work and described herself as an enthusiastic fan . To distinguish him from former Supreme Court Associate Justice David Souter , Suter is often referred to within the Supreme Court by the nickname " The General " or as " General Suter " . Still an avid basketball player , he has been known throughout his career for his love of the sport . At the Court , he ' s known for playing basketball with law clerks on the " highest court in the land " . In January 2013 , Suter announced that he will retire on August 31 , before the start of the Court ' s 2013 term . On July 1 , 2013 , the Supreme Court named Scott S . Harris as Suter ' s successor , effective September 1 , 2013 . Personal life . Suter met his wife Jeanie , a now - retired teacher , while attending university in the late 1950s . They have two children and four grandchildren .