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William Orville Douglas (October 16, 1898 – January 19, 1980) was an American jurist and politician who served as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. Nominated by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Douglas was confirmed at the age of 40, one of the youngest justices appointed to the court. His term, lasting 36 years and 211 days (1939–75), is the longest in the history of the Supreme Court. In 1975 Time magazine called Douglas "the most doctrinaire and committed civil libertarian ever to sit on the court".[2]
After an itinerant childhood, Douglas attended Whitman College on a scholarship. He graduated from Columbia Law School in 1925 and joined the Yale Law School faculty. After serving as the third chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Douglas was successfully nominated to the Supreme Court, succeeding Justice Louis Brandeis. He was among those seriously considered for the 1944 Democratic vice presidential nomination and was subject to an unsuccessful draft movement prior to the 1948 presidential election. Douglas served on the Court until his retirement in 1975, and was succeeded by John Paul Stevens. Douglas holds a number of records as a Supreme Court Justice, including the most opinions.
Douglas wrote the Court's majority opinion in major cases such as Griswold v. Connecticut, United States v. Paramount Pictures, Inc., Brady v. Maryland, and Terminiello v. City of Chicago. He wrote notable concurring or dissenting opinions in cases such as Dennis v. United States, Brandenburg v. Ohio, and Terry v. Ohio. He was also known as a strong opponent of the Vietnam War and an ardent advocate of environmentalism.
After an itinerant childhood, Douglas attended Whitman College on a scholarship. He graduated from Columbia Law School in 1925 and joined the Yale Law School faculty. After serving as the third chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Douglas was successfully nominated to the Supreme Court, succeeding Justice Louis Brandeis. He was among those seriously considered for the 1944 Democratic vice presidential nomination and was subject to an unsuccessful draft movement prior to the 1948 presidential election. Douglas served on the Court until his retirement in 1975, and was succeeded by John Paul Stevens. Douglas holds a number of records as a Supreme Court Justice, including the most opinions.
Douglas wrote the Court's majority opinion in major cases such as Griswold v. Connecticut, United States v. Paramount Pictures, Inc., Brady v. Maryland, and Terminiello v. City of Chicago. He wrote notable concurring or dissenting opinions in cases such as Dennis v. United States, Brandenburg v. Ohio, and Terry v. Ohio. He was also known as a strong opponent of the Vietnam War and an ardent advocate of environmentalism.
William O. Douglas - Wikipedia
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William O. Douglas speaking at UCLA 12/16/1964
From the archives of the UCLA Communications Studies Department. Digitized 2013. The views and ideas expressed in these videos are not necessarily shared by ...
Thank you my friend Maj Marty Hogan for making us aware that October 16 is the anniversary of the birth of American jurist, politician, and civil libertarian William Orville Douglas who was nominated by President FDR as one of the youngest associate justices to the US Supreme Court o which he served from 1939 to 1975.
"His support of Red China led House Minority Leader Gerald R. Ford to call for Douglas’ impeachment in 1970, though the charges were rejected. On December 31, 1974, Douglas suffered a stroke and was partially paralyzed. He returned to the Supreme Court but submitted his letter of retirement in 1975."
Rest in peace William Orville Douglas
Background from oyez.org/justices/william_o_douglas
"Determined and competitive in nature, William O. Douglas set the record for longest continuous service on the Supreme Court. Douglas was born on October 16, 1898, in Maine, Minnesota, to Julia Fisk and Reverend William Douglas. The second of three children, he became his mother’s favorite, earning the nickname “Treasure.” In 1901, Douglas was stricken with polio that proved nearly fatal. Shortly after his father’s death in 1904, the Douglas family moved to Yakima, Washington, where Douglas spent most of his youth. Though the family struggled financially, Julia enrolled the children in Yakima High School, a highly competitive environment in which Douglas thrived. His peers described him as shy; however, Douglas was active in his high school debating team and rarely lost a debate. He once overheard his mother mention his fragile state, after which he began running every day in order to strengthen his legs. He also went on long hikes, which led to his lifelong love of being outdoors. Good grades were demanded by his mother and Douglas delivered, graduating valedictorian in 1916. He went to Whitman College in Walla Walla, Washington, on a full scholarship. During college, Douglas went to school in the mornings and often worked full days after class. He continued his good grades with ease, though few ever saw him study. Though his financial struggles continued, forcing him to live in a tent during one term of college, his situation did not detract from his involvement at Whitman. Douglas was a star of the debating team, student congress president, and president of Beta Theta Pi. He wrote for the campus literary magazine, occasionally delivered sermons at campus services, and tutored students for his economics professor.
After graduating, Douglas took a job at his old high school to save money. During this time, he visited the courtrooms of Yakima to watch cases presented and decided that this was his calling. He arrived in New York City to attend Columbia Law School in 1922 with only six cents in his pocket. Douglas worked his way through law school by starting a tutoring service for high school seniors who wanted to attend an Ivy League School, eventually earning $25 an hour as his service grew in demand. In 1923, he married Mildred Riddle and spent most of his savings in order to do so. Douglas graduated second in his class at Columbia in 1925 and began working for one of the most prestigious Wall Street law firms, Cravath, Henderson & de Gersdorff (now Cravath, Swaine & Moore). After working as a lawyer for a few years, Douglas left to teach at Columbia Law School and then taught at Yale, becoming one of the law school’s youngest chaired professors. He began to see legal doctrines not as concrete, but as devices that could be manipulated for good or ill. Douglas left Yale to go to Washington along with other legal scholars to work in the New Deal. He championed FDR’s policies and soon became chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission in 1937 while still dealing with financial problems.
Due to Douglas’s loyalty to the New Deal and his friends on the inside, he became the second-youngest Supreme Court appointee in history. Douglas was appointed Associate Justice of the Supreme Court by President Roosevelt and confirmed on April 4, 1939. Douglas was well-known for his strict commitment to civil liberties and authored many opinions that expressed his views on individual rights, such as free speech. He supported the right to privacy, limits on government interference, and the rights of illegitimate children. While critics claimed his work showed haste and that he did not develop a coherent legal analysis, defenders admired the forceful and blunt manner by which he reached the core issue in each case. Douglas supported New Deal legislation, especially in the areas of labor law and control of markets. He believed in regulating business and helped change the antitrust analysis of price fixing. Douglas often wrote or voted in support of the theories developed by Justice Hugo L. Black, who also championed civil liberties. With Chief Justice Burger, however, Douglas was less than agreeable and often teased the Chief Justice.
Douglas’ personal life, which included divorcing his wife and remarrying three times after, and his support of Red China led House Minority Leader Gerald R. Ford to call for Douglas’ impeachment in 1970, though the charges were rejected. On December 31, 1974, Douglas suffered a stroke and was partially paralyzed. He returned to the Supreme Court but submitted his letter of retirement in 1975 after 36 years on the bench. He passed away on January 19, 1980."
William O. Douglas speaking at UCLA 12/16/1964
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGzKWNB1xgA
FYI COL Mikel J. Burroughs LTC Stephen C. LTC Wayne Brandon LTC Bill Koski Maj Bill Smith, Ph.D. Capt Seid Waddell Capt Tom Brown Maj Marty Hogan MSG Andrew White SFC William Farrell SSgt Robert Marx PO1 William "Chip" Nagel SPC Margaret Higgins MSgt Jason McClish AN Christopher Crayne SPC Tom DeSmet SGT Charles H. Hawes SGT (Join to see) SSG David Andrews
"His support of Red China led House Minority Leader Gerald R. Ford to call for Douglas’ impeachment in 1970, though the charges were rejected. On December 31, 1974, Douglas suffered a stroke and was partially paralyzed. He returned to the Supreme Court but submitted his letter of retirement in 1975."
Rest in peace William Orville Douglas
Background from oyez.org/justices/william_o_douglas
"Determined and competitive in nature, William O. Douglas set the record for longest continuous service on the Supreme Court. Douglas was born on October 16, 1898, in Maine, Minnesota, to Julia Fisk and Reverend William Douglas. The second of three children, he became his mother’s favorite, earning the nickname “Treasure.” In 1901, Douglas was stricken with polio that proved nearly fatal. Shortly after his father’s death in 1904, the Douglas family moved to Yakima, Washington, where Douglas spent most of his youth. Though the family struggled financially, Julia enrolled the children in Yakima High School, a highly competitive environment in which Douglas thrived. His peers described him as shy; however, Douglas was active in his high school debating team and rarely lost a debate. He once overheard his mother mention his fragile state, after which he began running every day in order to strengthen his legs. He also went on long hikes, which led to his lifelong love of being outdoors. Good grades were demanded by his mother and Douglas delivered, graduating valedictorian in 1916. He went to Whitman College in Walla Walla, Washington, on a full scholarship. During college, Douglas went to school in the mornings and often worked full days after class. He continued his good grades with ease, though few ever saw him study. Though his financial struggles continued, forcing him to live in a tent during one term of college, his situation did not detract from his involvement at Whitman. Douglas was a star of the debating team, student congress president, and president of Beta Theta Pi. He wrote for the campus literary magazine, occasionally delivered sermons at campus services, and tutored students for his economics professor.
After graduating, Douglas took a job at his old high school to save money. During this time, he visited the courtrooms of Yakima to watch cases presented and decided that this was his calling. He arrived in New York City to attend Columbia Law School in 1922 with only six cents in his pocket. Douglas worked his way through law school by starting a tutoring service for high school seniors who wanted to attend an Ivy League School, eventually earning $25 an hour as his service grew in demand. In 1923, he married Mildred Riddle and spent most of his savings in order to do so. Douglas graduated second in his class at Columbia in 1925 and began working for one of the most prestigious Wall Street law firms, Cravath, Henderson & de Gersdorff (now Cravath, Swaine & Moore). After working as a lawyer for a few years, Douglas left to teach at Columbia Law School and then taught at Yale, becoming one of the law school’s youngest chaired professors. He began to see legal doctrines not as concrete, but as devices that could be manipulated for good or ill. Douglas left Yale to go to Washington along with other legal scholars to work in the New Deal. He championed FDR’s policies and soon became chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission in 1937 while still dealing with financial problems.
Due to Douglas’s loyalty to the New Deal and his friends on the inside, he became the second-youngest Supreme Court appointee in history. Douglas was appointed Associate Justice of the Supreme Court by President Roosevelt and confirmed on April 4, 1939. Douglas was well-known for his strict commitment to civil liberties and authored many opinions that expressed his views on individual rights, such as free speech. He supported the right to privacy, limits on government interference, and the rights of illegitimate children. While critics claimed his work showed haste and that he did not develop a coherent legal analysis, defenders admired the forceful and blunt manner by which he reached the core issue in each case. Douglas supported New Deal legislation, especially in the areas of labor law and control of markets. He believed in regulating business and helped change the antitrust analysis of price fixing. Douglas often wrote or voted in support of the theories developed by Justice Hugo L. Black, who also championed civil liberties. With Chief Justice Burger, however, Douglas was less than agreeable and often teased the Chief Justice.
Douglas’ personal life, which included divorcing his wife and remarrying three times after, and his support of Red China led House Minority Leader Gerald R. Ford to call for Douglas’ impeachment in 1970, though the charges were rejected. On December 31, 1974, Douglas suffered a stroke and was partially paralyzed. He returned to the Supreme Court but submitted his letter of retirement in 1975 after 36 years on the bench. He passed away on January 19, 1980."
William O. Douglas speaking at UCLA 12/16/1964
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGzKWNB1xgA
FYI COL Mikel J. Burroughs LTC Stephen C. LTC Wayne Brandon LTC Bill Koski Maj Bill Smith, Ph.D. Capt Seid Waddell Capt Tom Brown Maj Marty Hogan MSG Andrew White SFC William Farrell SSgt Robert Marx PO1 William "Chip" Nagel SPC Margaret Higgins MSgt Jason McClish AN Christopher Crayne SPC Tom DeSmet SGT Charles H. Hawes SGT (Join to see) SSG David Andrews
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