Saturday, July 7, 2012

SRPS Shout-Out - Sandra Day O'Conner

On July 7, 1981, President Ronald Reagan nominated Sandra Day O'Conner to replace Potter Stewart.

I'm old enough to remember this piece of important history-in-the-making. It was a Big Deal™ at our house. The first woman to be appointed to the Supreme Court!

She received unanimous approval by the U.S. Senate (99-0), and was sworn in on September 21, 1981.

Sandra Day O'Connor Being Sworn in a Supreme Court Justice
by Chief Justice Warren Burger
“My hope is that 10 years from now, after I've been across the street at work for a while, they'll all be glad they gave me that wonderful vote.”
The four women who have served on the Supreme Court of the United States.
From left to right: Justice Sandra Day O'Connor (Ret.),
Justice Sonia Sotomayor, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg,
and Justice Elena Kagan in the Justices' Conference
Room, prior to Justice Kagan's Investiture Ceremony on October 1, 2010.
"The power I exert on the court depends on the power of my arguments, not on my gender."
Whether you agree with her rulings or not, the door she swung open has only helped women continue to move forward.

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