Presidents and the Supreme Court: Ronald Reagan and Sandra Day O'Connor
Yesterday morning, retired Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor announced that she has been diagnosed with dementia, and in her words, "probably Alzheimer's". She made the announcement in the form of a letter, just as the man who appointed her to the court, Ronald Reagan, had once done.
O'Connor gained a place in history by becoming the first woman appointed to the United States Supreme Court. During the election campaign of 1980, Republican candidate Ronald Reagan made a pledge that he would appoint the first female Justice of the United States Supreme Court. Richard Nixon had tried to do so during his term, but he was unable to decide upon a nominee satisfactory to both himself and has party. This achievement was left to Ronald Reagan and he kept his promise early on in his presidency in the summer of 1981.
On July 7, 1981, Reagan announced that he would nominate Sandra Day O'Connor. then a Justice of the Arizona State Court of Appeals, as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, to replace the retiring Potter Stewart. O'Connor received word of her nomination from President Reagan on the day prior to the announcement. She did not even know that she was a finalist for the position. Reagan formally nominated O'Connor on August 19, 1981.
Pro-life and religious groups opposed O'Connor's nomination because they believed that she would not be willing to overturn Roe v Wade. A number of conservative Republican Senators, including Don Nickles of Oklahoma, Steve Symms of Idaho, and Jesse Helms of North Carolina, called the White House to express their discontent over the nomination. Nickles tole Reagan that he and "other pro-family Republican senators" would not support O'Connor's nomination.
O'Connor was very professional and very cool during her confirmation hearing. She refused to state her views on abortion. In her interview with the President, she told Reagan she did not remember whether she had supported the view of repealing Arizona's law banning abortion. When she was an Arizona State Senator in 1970, she had voted in favor of a bill to repeal the state's criminal-abortion statute. In 1974, she opposed a measure to prohibit abortions in some Arizona hospitals.
Reagan's diary entry on July 6, 1981 reads as follows:
"Called Judge O'Connor and told her she was my nominee for supreme court. Already the flak is starting and from my own supporters. Right to Life people say she is pro abortion. She says abortion is personally repugnant to her. I think she'll make a good justice."
On September 21, O'Connor was confirmed by the U.S. Senate by a vote of 99–0. Senator Max Baucus of Montana was absent for the decision, and he sent O'Connor a copy of the book "A River Runs Through It" with an apology for missing the vote.
In her first year on the Court she received over 60,000 letters from the public, more than any other justice in history. In a number of speeches which she later gave, she mentioned feeling some relief from the media clamor when Ruth Bader Ginsburg joined her as an Associate Justice of the Court in 1993.
Following is a YouTube video of President Reagan announcing the nomination of Justice O'Connor:
In her letter announcing her medical condition yesterday, O'Connor wrote:
Friends and fellow Americans,
I want to share some personal news with you.
Some time ago, doctors diagnosed me with the beginning stages of dementia, probably Alzheimer’s disease. As this condition has progressed, I am no longer able to participate in public life. Since many people have asked about my current status and activities, I want to be open about these changes, and while I am still able, share some personal thoughts.
Not long after I retired from the Supreme Court twelve years ago, I made a commitment to myself, my family, and my country that I would use whatever years I had left to advance civic learning and engagement.
I feel so strongly about the topic because I’ve seen first-hand how vital it is for all citizens to understand our Constitution and unique system of government, and participate actively in their communities. It is through this shared understanding of who we are that we can follow the approaches that have served us best over time – working collaboratively together in communities and in government to solve problems, putting country and the common good above party and self-interest, and holding our key governmental institutions accountable.
Eight years ago, I started iCivics for just this purpose – to teach the core principles of civics to middle and high school students with free online interactive games and curriculum that make learning relevant and remarkably effective. Today, iCivics (www.icivics.org) reaches half the youth in our country. We must reach all our youth, and we need to find ways to get people – young and old – more involved in their communities and in their government. As my three sons are tired of hearing me say, “It’s not enough to understand, you’ve got to do something.” There is no more important work than deepening young people’s engagement in our nation.
I can no longer help lead this cause, due to my physical condition. It is time for new leaders to make civic learning and civic engagement a reality for all. It is my great hope that our nation will commit to educating our youth about civics, and to helping young people understand their crucial role as informed, active citizens in our nation. To achieve this, I hope that private citizens, counties, states, and the federal government will work together to create and fund a nationwide civics education initiative. Many wonderful people already are working towards this goal, but they need real help and public commitment. I look forward to watching from the sidelines as others continue the hard work ahead.
I will continue living in Phoenix, Arizona, surrounded by dear friends and family. While the final chapter of my life with dementia may be trying, nothing has diminished my gratitude and deep appreciation for the countless blessings in my life. How fortunate I feel to be an American and to have been presented with the remarkable opportunities available to the citizens of our country. As a young cowgirl from the Arizona desert, I never could have imagined that one day I would become the first woman justice on the U.S. Supreme Court.
I hope that I have inspired young people about civic engagement and helped pave the pathway for women who may have faced obstacles pursuing their careers. My greatest thanks to our nation, to my family, to my former colleagues, and to all the wonderful people I have had the opportunity to engage with over the years.
God bless you all.
O'Connor gained a place in history by becoming the first woman appointed to the United States Supreme Court. During the election campaign of 1980, Republican candidate Ronald Reagan made a pledge that he would appoint the first female Justice of the United States Supreme Court. Richard Nixon had tried to do so during his term, but he was unable to decide upon a nominee satisfactory to both himself and has party. This achievement was left to Ronald Reagan and he kept his promise early on in his presidency in the summer of 1981.
On July 7, 1981, Reagan announced that he would nominate Sandra Day O'Connor. then a Justice of the Arizona State Court of Appeals, as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, to replace the retiring Potter Stewart. O'Connor received word of her nomination from President Reagan on the day prior to the announcement. She did not even know that she was a finalist for the position. Reagan formally nominated O'Connor on August 19, 1981.
Pro-life and religious groups opposed O'Connor's nomination because they believed that she would not be willing to overturn Roe v Wade. A number of conservative Republican Senators, including Don Nickles of Oklahoma, Steve Symms of Idaho, and Jesse Helms of North Carolina, called the White House to express their discontent over the nomination. Nickles tole Reagan that he and "other pro-family Republican senators" would not support O'Connor's nomination.
O'Connor was very professional and very cool during her confirmation hearing. She refused to state her views on abortion. In her interview with the President, she told Reagan she did not remember whether she had supported the view of repealing Arizona's law banning abortion. When she was an Arizona State Senator in 1970, she had voted in favor of a bill to repeal the state's criminal-abortion statute. In 1974, she opposed a measure to prohibit abortions in some Arizona hospitals.
Reagan's diary entry on July 6, 1981 reads as follows:
"Called Judge O'Connor and told her she was my nominee for supreme court. Already the flak is starting and from my own supporters. Right to Life people say she is pro abortion. She says abortion is personally repugnant to her. I think she'll make a good justice."
On September 21, O'Connor was confirmed by the U.S. Senate by a vote of 99–0. Senator Max Baucus of Montana was absent for the decision, and he sent O'Connor a copy of the book "A River Runs Through It" with an apology for missing the vote.
In her first year on the Court she received over 60,000 letters from the public, more than any other justice in history. In a number of speeches which she later gave, she mentioned feeling some relief from the media clamor when Ruth Bader Ginsburg joined her as an Associate Justice of the Court in 1993.
Following is a YouTube video of President Reagan announcing the nomination of Justice O'Connor:
In her letter announcing her medical condition yesterday, O'Connor wrote:
Friends and fellow Americans,
I want to share some personal news with you.
Some time ago, doctors diagnosed me with the beginning stages of dementia, probably Alzheimer’s disease. As this condition has progressed, I am no longer able to participate in public life. Since many people have asked about my current status and activities, I want to be open about these changes, and while I am still able, share some personal thoughts.
Not long after I retired from the Supreme Court twelve years ago, I made a commitment to myself, my family, and my country that I would use whatever years I had left to advance civic learning and engagement.
I feel so strongly about the topic because I’ve seen first-hand how vital it is for all citizens to understand our Constitution and unique system of government, and participate actively in their communities. It is through this shared understanding of who we are that we can follow the approaches that have served us best over time – working collaboratively together in communities and in government to solve problems, putting country and the common good above party and self-interest, and holding our key governmental institutions accountable.
Eight years ago, I started iCivics for just this purpose – to teach the core principles of civics to middle and high school students with free online interactive games and curriculum that make learning relevant and remarkably effective. Today, iCivics (www.icivics.org) reaches half the youth in our country. We must reach all our youth, and we need to find ways to get people – young and old – more involved in their communities and in their government. As my three sons are tired of hearing me say, “It’s not enough to understand, you’ve got to do something.” There is no more important work than deepening young people’s engagement in our nation.
I can no longer help lead this cause, due to my physical condition. It is time for new leaders to make civic learning and civic engagement a reality for all. It is my great hope that our nation will commit to educating our youth about civics, and to helping young people understand their crucial role as informed, active citizens in our nation. To achieve this, I hope that private citizens, counties, states, and the federal government will work together to create and fund a nationwide civics education initiative. Many wonderful people already are working towards this goal, but they need real help and public commitment. I look forward to watching from the sidelines as others continue the hard work ahead.
I will continue living in Phoenix, Arizona, surrounded by dear friends and family. While the final chapter of my life with dementia may be trying, nothing has diminished my gratitude and deep appreciation for the countless blessings in my life. How fortunate I feel to be an American and to have been presented with the remarkable opportunities available to the citizens of our country. As a young cowgirl from the Arizona desert, I never could have imagined that one day I would become the first woman justice on the U.S. Supreme Court.
I hope that I have inspired young people about civic engagement and helped pave the pathway for women who may have faced obstacles pursuing their careers. My greatest thanks to our nation, to my family, to my former colleagues, and to all the wonderful people I have had the opportunity to engage with over the years.
God bless you all.