Supreme Court justices, U.S.

chief justices in italic

name term of service* appointed by president

John Jay (Jay, John) 1789-95 Washington

James Wilson (Wilson, James) 1789-98 Washington

John Rutledge (Rutledge, John) 1790-91 Washington

William Cushing (Cushing, William) 1790-1810 Washington

John Blair (Blair, John) 1790-96 Washington

James Iredell (Iredell, James) 1790-99 Washington

Thomas Johnson (Johnson, Thomas) 1792-93 Washington

William Paterson (Paterson, William) 1793-1806 Washington

** (Rutledge, John) 1795 Washington

Samuel Chase (Chase, Samuel) 1796-1811 Washington

Oliver Ellsworth (Ellsworth, Oliver) 1796-1800 Washington

Bushrod Washington (Washington, Bushrod) 1799-1829 J. Adams

Alfred Moore (Moore, Alfred) 1800-04 J. Adams

John Marshall (Marshall, John) 1801-35 J. Adams

William Johnson (Johnson, William) 1804-34 Jefferson

Henry Brockholst Livingston (Livingston, Henry Brockholst) 1807-23 Jefferson

Thomas Todd (Todd, Thomas) 1807-26 Jefferson

Gabriel Duvall (Duvall, Gabriel) 1811-35 Madison

Joseph Story (Story, Joseph) 1812-45 Madison

Smith Thompson (Thompson, Smith) 1823-43 Monroe

Robert Trimble (Trimble, Robert) 1826-28 J.Q. Adams

John McLean (McLean, John) 1830-61 Jackson

Henry Baldwin (Baldwin, Henry) 1830-44 Jackson

James M. Wayne (Wayne, James M.) 1835-67 Jackson

Roger Brooke Taney (Taney, Roger Brooke) 1836-64 Jackson

Philip P. Barbour (Barbour, Philip P) 1836-41 Jackson

John Catron (Catron, John) 1837-65 Van Buren

John McKinley (McKinley, John) 1838-52 Van Buren

Peter V. Daniel (Daniel, Peter Vivian) 1842-60 Van Buren

Samuel Nelson (Nelson, Samuel) 1845-72 Tyler

Levi Woodbury (Woodbury, Levi) 1845-51 Polk

Robert C. Grier (Grier, Robert C) 1846-70 Polk

Benjamin R. Curtis (Curtis, Benjamin R) 1851-57 Fillmore

John Archibald Campbell (Campbell, John Archibald) 1853-61 Pierce

Nathan Clifford (Clifford, Nathan) 1858-81 Buchanan

Noah H. Swayne (Swayne, Noah H.) 1862-81 Lincoln

Samuel Freeman Miller (Miller, Samuel Freeman) 1862-90 Lincoln

David Davis (Davis, David) 1862-77 Lincoln

Stephen Johnson Field (Field, Stephen J) 1863-97 Lincoln

Salmon P. Chase (Chase, Salmon P.) 1864-73 Lincoln

William Strong (Strong, William) 1870-80 Grant

Joseph P. Bradley (Bradley, Joseph P.) 1870-92 Grant

Ward Hunt (Hunt, Ward) 1873-82 Grant

Morrison Remick Waite (Waite, Morrison Remick) 1874-88 Grant

John Marshall Harlan (Harlan, John Marshall) 1877-1911 Hayes

William B. Woods (Woods, William B.) 1881-87 Hayes

Stanley Matthews (Matthews, Stanley) 1881-89 Garfield

Horace Gray (Gray, Horace) 1882-1902 Arthur

Samuel Blatchford (Blatchford, Samuel) 1882-93 Arthur

Lucius Q.C. Lamar (Lamar, Lucius Q.C.) 1888-93 Cleveland

Melville Weston Fuller (Fuller, Melville Weston) 1888-1910 Cleveland

David J. Brewer (Brewer, David J.) 1890-1910 B. Harrison

Henry B. Brown (Brown, Henry Billings) 1891-1906 B. Harrison

George Shiras, Jr. (Shiras, George, Jr.) 1892-1903 B. Harrison

Howell E. Jackson (Jackson, Howell E.) 1893-95 B. Harrison

Edward Douglass White (White, Edward Douglass) 1894-1910 Cleveland

Rufus Wheeler Peckham (Peckham, Rufus Wheeler) 1896-1909 Cleveland

Joseph McKenna (McKenna, Joseph) 1898-1925 McKinley

Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. (Holmes, Oliver Wendell, Jr.) 1902-32 T. Roosevelt

William R. Day (Day, William R.) 1903-22 T. Roosevelt

William H. Moody (Moody, William) 1906-10 T. Roosevelt

Horace H. Lurton (Lurton, Horace H) 1910-14 Taft

Charles Evans Hughes (Hughes, Charles Evans) 1910-16 Taft

Willis Van Devanter (Van Devanter, Willis) 1911-37 Taft

Joseph R. Lamar (Lamar, Joseph Rucker) 1911-16 Taft

Edward Douglass White (White, Edward Douglass) 1910-21 Taft

Mahlon Pitney (Pitney, Mahlon) 1912-22 Taft

James C. McReynolds (McReynolds, James) 1914-41 Wilson

Louis Brandeis (Brandeis, Louis) 1916-39 Wilson

John H. Clarke (Clarke, John Hessin) 1916-22 Wilson

William Howard Taft (Taft, William Howard) 1921-30 Harding

George Sutherland (Sutherland, George) 1922-38 Harding

Pierce Butler (Butler, Pierce) 1923-39 Harding

Edward T. Sanford (Sanford, Edward T) 1923-30 Harding

Harlan Fiske Stone (Stone, Harlan Fiske) 1925-41 Coolidge

Charles Evans Hughes (Hughes, Charles Evans) 1930-41 Hoover

Owen Roberts (Roberts, Owen Josephus) 1930-45 Hoover

Benjamin Nathan Cardozo (Cardozo, Benjamin Nathan) 1932-38 Hoover

Hugo L. Black (Black, Hugo) 1937-71 F. Roosevelt

Stanley F. Reed (Reed, Stanley F.) 1938-57 F. Roosevelt

Felix Frankfurter (Frankfurter, Felix) 1939-62 F. Roosevelt

William O. Douglas (Douglas, William O.) 1939-75 F. Roosevelt

Frank Murphy (Murphy, Frank) 1940-49 F. Roosevelt

Harlan Fiske Stone (Stone, Harlan Fiske) 1941-46 F. Roosevelt

James F. Byrnes (Byrnes, James F.) 1941-42 F. Roosevelt

Robert H. Jackson (Jackson, Robert H(oughwout)) 1941-54 F. Roosevelt

Wiley B. Rutledge (Rutledge, Wiley B, Jr.) 1943-49 F. Roosevelt

Harold H. Burton (Burton, Harold H.) 1945-58 Truman

Fred M. Vinson (Vinson, Fred M.) 1946-53 Truman

Tom C. Clark (Clark, Tom C.) 1949-67 Truman

Sherman Minton (Minton, Sherman) 1949-56 Truman

Earl Warren (Warren, Earl) 1953-69 Eisenhower

John Marshall Harlan (Harlan, John Marshall) 1955-71 Eisenhower

William J. Brennan, Jr. (Brennan, William) 1956-90 Eisenhower

Charles E. Whittaker (Whittaker, Charles E.) 1957-62 Eisenhower

Potter Stewart (Stewart, Potter) 1958-81 Eisenhower

Byron R. White (White, Byron R.) 1962-93 Kennedy

Arthur J. Goldberg (Goldberg, Arthur J.) 1962-65 Kennedy

Abe Fortas (Fortas, Abe) 1965-69 L. Johnson

Thurgood Marshall (Marshall, Thurgood) 1967-91 L. Johnson

Warren E. Burger (Burger, Warren E.) 1969-86 Nixon

Harry A. Blackmun (Blackmun, Harry A.) 1970-94 Nixon

Lewis F. Powell, Jr. (Powell, Lewis F., Jr.) 1972-87 Nixon

William H. Rehnquist (Rehnquist, William) 1972-86 Nixon

John Paul Stevens (Stevens, John Paul) 1975- Ford

Sandra Day O'Connor (O'Connor, Sandra Day) 1981-2006 Reagan

William H. Rehnquist (Rehnquist, William) 1986-2005 Reagan

Antonin Scalia (Scalia, Antonin) 1986- Reagan

Anthony M. Kennedy (Kennedy, Anthony) 1988- Reagan

David H. Souter (Souter, David Hackett) 1990- G.H.W. Bush

Clarence Thomas (Thomas, Clarence) 1991- G.H.W. Bush

Ruth Bader Ginsburg (Ginsburg, Ruth Bader) 1993- Clinton

Stephen G. Breyer (Breyer, Stephen) 1994- Clinton

John G. Roberts, Jr. (Roberts, John G., Jr.) 2005- G.W. Bush

Samuel A. Alito (Alito, Samuel A., Jr.) 2006- G.W. Bush

*The date the justice took the judicial oath is here used as the beginning date of service, for until that oath is taken the justice is not vested with the prerogatives of the office. Justices, however, receive their commissions ("letters patent") before taking their oaths--in some instances, in the preceding year.

**John Rutledge was acting chief justice; the U.S. Senate refused to confirm him.