William O. Douglas
United States federal judge
Died when: 81 years 95 days (975 months)Star Sign: Libra
William Orville Douglas (October 16, 1898 – January 19, 1980) was an American jurist who served as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, who was known for his strong progressive and civil libertarian views, and was often cited as the U.S.
Supreme Court's most liberal justice ever.In 1975, Time called Douglas "the most doctrinaire and committed civil libertarian ever to sit on the court." He is the longest-serving associate justice in history, with his term lasting 36 years and 211 days (1939–1975).
Nominated by President Franklin D.Roosevelt in 1939, Douglas was confirmed at the age of 40, becoming one of the youngest justices appointed to the court.
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 Securities and Exchange Commission, Douglas was successfully nominated to the Supreme Court in 1939, 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 U.S. 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 Skinner v.Oklahoma (1942), United States v.Paramount Pictures, Inc. (1948), Terminiello v.
City of Chicago (1949), Brady v.Maryland (1963), Griswold v.Connecticut (1965) and Harper v.Virginia State Board of Elections (1966).He wrote notable concurring or dissenting opinions in cases such as Dennis v.
United States (1951), United States v.O’Brien (1968), Terry v.Ohio (1968), and Brandenburg v.Ohio (1969).He was also known as a strong opponent of the Vietnam War and an ardent advocate of environmentalism.
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