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| What President appointed the most justices to the United States Supreme Court in history? |
July 06, 2005 |
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With the retirement of Justice Sandra Day O`Connor, the first woman to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court, the Court is much in the news. Did you know ...
 George Washington appointed the most justices in U.S. history, a total of 11 in his eight years as president, including naming the entire first court, and John Jay (pictured) as the first Chief Justice. The total would have been more but the court initially had just six members.
Franklin D. Roosevelt, our longest serving president, is a close second. He named nine justices to the court, the most of the 20th Century.
The current Court was appointed by the past five U.S. presidents. The resigning member, Justice O`Connor, was appointed by Ronald Reagan and began serving in 1981. The current nine served together longer than any group since 1823, when James Monroe was president.
The Supreme Court first met in 1790. The black robes are a tradition that has continued for the entire 215-year history of the Court, although John Jay wore red facing on his robe, now preserved at the Smithsonian Institute. Another surviving tradition is the display of quill pens in the courtroom.
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