Question: who served as chief justice of the supreme court for most of the first 35 years of the 19th century
Answer: shington ( 1762 -- 1829 ) VA 026 ! Associate Justice Wilson 000000001798 - 12 - 20 - 0000 December 20 , 1798 ( Acclamation ) 000000001798 - 11 - 09 - 0000 November 9 , 1798 -- November 26 , 1829 ( Died ) 7004113390000000000 ♠ 31 years , 17 days John Adams 12 Alfred Moore ( 1755 -- 1810 ) NC 027 ! Associate Justice Iredell 000000001799 - 12 - 09 - 0000 December 9 , 1799 ( Acclamation ) 000000001800 - 04 - 21 - 0000 April 21 , 1800 -- January 26 , 1804 ( Resigned ) 7003137500000000000 ♠ 3 years , 280 days 13 John Marshall ( 1755 -- 1835 ) VA 004 ! Chief Justice Ellsworth 000000001801 - 01 - 27 - 0000 January 27 , 1801 ( Acclamation ) 000000001801 - 02 - 04 - 0000 February 4 , 1801 -- July 6 , 1835 ( died ) 7004125700000000000 ♠ 34 years , 152 days 14 William Johnson ( 1771 -- 1834 ) SC 028 ! Associate Justice Moore 000000001804 - 03 - 24 - 0000 March 24 , 1804 ( Acclamation ) 000000001804 - 05 - 07 - 0000 May 7 , 1804 -- August 4 , 1834 ( Died ) 7004110460000000000 ♠ 30 years , 89 days Thomas Jefferson 15 Henry Brockholst Li