Home > Facts > US Government Facts > Sandra Day O'Connor Facts

Sandra Day O'Connor Facts

Sandra Day O'Connor Facts
Sandra Day O'Connor is notable in American history for being the first female justice to serve on the United States Supreme Court. Appointed by President Ronald Reagan in September 1981 and quickly approved by the Senate, O'Connor served on the court until she retired in 2006, just two months shy of her seventy-sixth birthday. Before serving on the Supreme Court, O'Connor was actively involved in the Republican Party and government in the state of Arizona, serving in the Arizona Senate from 1969 to 1975 and then as a judge in Maricopa County until 1979 and finally on the Arizona Court of Appeals until 1981. Although O'Connor was a conservative Republican and was a fairly reliable vote on the court for the conservative bloc, she was considered a moderate by most legal scholars. O'Connor was born Sandra Day in El Paso, Texas on March 26, 1930 to successful rancher Henry Day and his wife Ada. Sandra grew up with two younger siblings. She earned a BA in economics from Stanford University in 1950 and then went on the earn a law degree from Stanford in 1952. Sandra married John Jay O'Connor III in 1952 and would later have three children with him. The couple remained married until he died in 2009.
Interesting Sandra Day O'Connor Facts:
Although O'Connor did well in law school and made several professional connections that were useful in her later life, she found difficulty finding a job because of her sex throughout the 1950s. She even worked for free at times just to gain experience.
O'Connor replaced Justice Potter Stewart on the Supreme Court, who was appointed by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1958.
Despite being considered a conservative Republican, many conservatives opposed Reagan's nomination of O'Connor when it was learned that while she was a member of the Arizona Senate she voted to repeal the state's ban on abortion.
She was ultimately confirmed by the Senate in a 99-0 vote.
When the Supreme Court became more evenly divided along political lines in the late 1990s, O'Connor was often the swing vote on 5-4 decisions. She usually voted with the conservatives, but sided with the liberals in a number of important cases.
One of her more notable rulings was in Bush v. Gore (2000). In that case, O'Connor ruled with the other justices to end the challenges, thereby making George W. Bush the president.
Although O'Connor believed that affirmative action programs shouldn't be a permanent part of the American legal and political landscape, she voted to uphold race based admissions to universities in Grotter v. Bollinger (2003).
O'Connor never voted to severely limit abortion in any way, which was what conservative opponents of her nomination feared. She also voted against any added restrictions on abortion, such as the two parent notification law, which was struck down in Hodgson v. Minnesota (1990).
After retiring from the Supreme Court, O'Connor spent time with her ailing husband and has taught, wrote, and given public talks about her experiences in law.


Related Links:
Facts
US Government Facts
Animals Facts