Harry Blackmun | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States | |
| In office June 9, 1970 – August 3, 1994[1] | |
| Nominated by | Richard Nixon |
| Preceded by | Abe Fortas |
| Succeeded by | Stephen Breyer |
| Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit | |
| In office September 21, 1959 – June 8, 1970 | |
| Nominated by | Dwight D. Eisenhower |
| Preceded by | John B. Sanborn Jr. |
| Succeeded by | Donald Roe Ross |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Harry Andrew Blackmun November 12, 1908 Nashville, Illinois, U.S. |
| Died | March 4, 1999 (aged 90) Arlington County, Virginia, U.S. |
| Resting place | Arlington National Cemetery |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse |
Dorothy Clark (m. 1941) |
| Children | 3 |
| Education | Harvard University (AB, LLB) |
| This article is part of a series on |
| Liberalism in the United States |
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Harry Andrew Blackmun (November 12, 1908 – March 4, 1999) was an American lawyer and jurist who served as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1970 to 1994. Appointed by President Richard Nixon, Blackmun ultimately became one of the most liberal justices on the Court. He is best known as the author of the Court's opinion in Roe v. Wade.[2]
Raised in Saint Paul, Minnesota, Blackmun graduated from Harvard Law School in 1932. He practiced law in the Twin Cities, representing clients such as the Mayo Clinic. In 1959, President Dwight D. Eisenhower appointed him to the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit. After the defeat of two previous nominees, President Nixon successfully nominated Blackmun to the Supreme Court to replace Associate Justice Abe Fortas. Blackmun and his close friend, Chief Justice Warren Burger, were often called the "Minnesota Twins", but Blackmun drifted away from Burger during their tenure on the court. He retired from the Court during President Bill Clinton's administration and was succeeded by Stephen Breyer.
Aside from Roe v. Wade, notable majority opinions by Blackmun include Bates v. State Bar of Arizona, Bigelow v. Commonwealth of Virginia, and Stanton v. Stanton. He joined part of the joint opinion in Planned Parenthood v. Casey but also filed a separate opinion, warning that Roe was in jeopardy. He wrote dissenting opinions in notable cases such as Furman v. Georgia, Bowers v. Hardwick, and DeShaney v. Winnebago County.
- ^ "Justices 1789 to Present". Washington, D.C.: Supreme Court of the United States. Retrieved February 15, 2022.
- ^ Greenhouse 2005, p. 250.