In Edward Terry Sanford: A Tennessean on the U.S. Supreme Court, Stephanie Slater uncovers the life and work of Edward Terry Sanford (1865-1930), the only Supreme Court justice who obtained his undergraduate degree from the University of Tennessee. Born and raised in Knoxville, Sanford served as an associate justice on the United States Supreme Court from 1923 until his death in 1930. He was one of only six Tennesseans to serve on the nation's highest Court. Slater's delineation of Sanford's contributions to the legal profession illuminates one of Tennessee's favorite sons whose story had, until now, been largely left in the dark. Slater frames Sanford's personality and jurisprudence in a post-Civil War and Taft-era context, one that helps readers better understand both the man and his contributions to the Supreme Court. From Slater's important work we learn about Sanford's early upbringing, the lasting impression a largely pro-Union East Tennessee would leave upon Sanford, his rise from a skilled lawyer to federal judge during the rapid industrialization of Knoxville and the surrounding area, and his eventual appointment to the Supreme Court. Within Sanford's rich legacy is the pivotal role he played in writing the majority opinion in the landmark 1925 case, Gitlow v. New York, a decision which became a critical legal precedent for the expansion of civil rights and civil liberties in the 1950s and 1960s. Slater provides a keen look into the life of a Knoxville native whose life and career may now be appreciated and studied by a new generation. Sanford, his character, and his life as a Tennessean on the Supreme Court are sure to intrigue legal scholars, students of Tennessee culture and history, and general audiences alike.

Presents an alphabetical listing of Supreme Court justices with a short biography on each person.

An authoritative survey of the Taft Court, which served from 1921 to 1929, and the impact it had on the U.S. legal system, social order, economics, and politics. William Howard Taft's experience in the executive branch gave him a unique perspective on the court's work. He initiated judicial reform and was the prime mover behind the Judiciary Act of 1925, which gave the court wide latitude to accept cases based on their importance to the nation. The Taft Court decided about 1,600 cases during its nine terms. This book examines the "aggregate" personality of the court through discussions of individual voting characteristics, bloc alignments, and other patterned behavior. It also charts the strengths and weaknesses of the rulings and demonstrates Taft's penchant for increasing the impact of decisions by pursuing consensus among the justices, two of whom were his own appointees when he served as president.

First published in 1994. In the two centuries of governance under the Constitution, 105 men and two women have sat as justices on the nation’s highest tribunal, the Supreme Court of the United States. Each of them has brought some unique insights or talents to that position. Contributors to this volume were asked to concentrate on the judicial tenure of their subjects, and to interpret those careers and evaluate their importance. They were asked to deal with the pre-Court years only insofar as those experiences had a major impact on jurisprudence.