Which Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court is the longest serving member in the Court's history?

The recognition for being the longest serving justice in the history of U.S. Supreme Court goes to Justice William O. Douglas. After the retirement of Justice Louis Brandeis to Yakima, Washington. William O. Douglas was nominated by his friend President Franklin D. Roosevelt. At the age of 40, he was the second youngest Supreme Court justice in U.S. history, and he would serve for the next 36 years, 209 days from April 17, 1939 to November 12, 1975.

When Douglas retired from the Supreme Court, President Gerald Ford paid tribute by writing: "May I express on behalf of all our countrymen this nation's great gratitude for your more than thirty six years as a member of the Supreme Court. Your distinguished years of service are unequaled in all the history of the Court."

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43 Comments

John Wollenman

So the question should read who was the longest serving justice not who is the longest serving justice.

Ike Hinlo Caceres

Even longtime Chief Justice Earl Warren said that Douglas possessed "the nearest thing to genius I've ever seen."

perkyposey

Term limits!! Please!

ribbontrihypoomom

That's a long time!

robert karel

You should do this, You should do that. If everyone took care of their own life we’d be too busy to critisice others.

robert karel

John Wollenman, Oh well, you’ll never have perfection in this life!

dlh

Oops 🙀

wordster

Jon Woolery, you really ought to read up on your history. Ike Caceras is right. Far from being addled, as you put it, Douglas was and is universally regarded by those who know anything about him or the Court as one of the smartest and fairest men ever to sit on that bench. And apparently the age gap you so gleefully point out didn't bother him or his bride. Think you'll be able to say the same? Who are you to be so critical of him, anyway?

wordster

Jon Woolery, Dede Gillham Haskins, and John Wollenman et al, for god's sake, you nitpickers, try reading the ENTIRE question which in effect says "who is the longest serving justice IN SCOTUS HISTORY. Wm. O. Douglas was, IS, and most likely will remain the record-holder. Stop trying to show how smart you are, and just answer the actual question.

fdeisner

To the people complaining about the tense of the question, which even if it is incorrect, have they read the entire question as the last four words are "in the Court's history".

Jon Woolery

The guy stretched his career out for a few years after age-related illnesses addled his thought process. And there was his 23-year-old bride when he was 67....

Dossie M Terrell

Good question, even though I blew it.

segarolow

Got it! Lucky!

Dede Gillham Haskins

John Wollenman is 100% correct. If the question is not asked properly it is either impossible to answer at all or to answer correctly. This is a fundamental issue of ANY language. Please have someone do a quick editorial check on this before letting them be posted.