In a speech given yesterday by President Obama he was extolling the virtues of Judge Sotomayor and that, to paraphrase, it would be great to have someone on the Supreme Court that didn’t grow up in an ivory tower. Of course Clarence Thomas immediately came to mind but let us take a closer look at Justice Thomas as well as some of the other Justices of the United Stated Supreme Court, and what ivory tower beginnings they had:
Clarence Thomas was born in Pin Point, Georgia, a small, impoverished African American community. His family are descendents of African American in the American South. His father left his family when he was two years old. After a house fire left them homeless, Thomas and his younger brother Myers were taken to Savannah, Georgia, where their mother worked as a domestic employee. Thomas' sister Emma stayed behind with relatives in Pin Point.
When Thomas was 7, the family moved in with his maternal grandfather, Myers Anderson, and Anderson's wife, Christine, in Savannah. Anderson had little formal education, but had built a fuel oil business that also sold ice. Thomas calls his grandfather "the greatest man I have ever known." When Thomas was 10, Anderson started taking the family to help at a farm every day from sunrise to sunset. His grandfather believed in hard work and self-reliance; he would counsel Thomas to "never let the sun catch you in bed."
When Thomas was 7, the family moved in with his maternal grandfather, Myers Anderson, and Anderson's wife, Christine, in Savannah. Anderson had little formal education, but had built a fuel oil business that also sold ice. Thomas calls his grandfather "the greatest man I have ever known." When Thomas was 10, Anderson started taking the family to help at a farm every day from sunrise to sunset. His grandfather believed in hard work and self-reliance; he would counsel Thomas to "never let the sun catch you in bed."
Ruth Joan Bader Ginsberg was born March 15, 1933 in Brooklyn, New York, and was nicknamed "Kiki" by her family. She was the second daughter of Nathan and Celia (née Amster) Bader. The family belonged to the East Midwood Jewish Center, where she took her confirmation seriously. At age thirteen, Ruth acted as the "camp rabbi" at a Jewish summer program.
Her mother took an active role in her education, taking her to the library often. Ginsburg attended James Madison High School, whose law program later dedicated a courtroom in her honor. Her older sister died when she was very young. Her mother struggled with cancer throughout Ruth's high school years and died the day before her graduation.
Her mother took an active role in her education, taking her to the library often. Ginsburg attended James Madison High School, whose law program later dedicated a courtroom in her honor. Her older sister died when she was very young. Her mother struggled with cancer throughout Ruth's high school years and died the day before her graduation.
An only child, Antonin Scalia was born in Trenton, New Jersey; his mother, Kathy Panaro, was born in the United States, while his father, S. Eugene, a professor of Romance languages, had immigrated from Sicily. Five years later, the family moved to the Elmhurst section of Queens, New York, during which time his father worked at Brooklyn College in Flatbush, Brooklyn.
Scalia started his education at Public School 13 in Queens. A practicing member of the Roman Catholic Church High School in Manhattan. He graduated first in his class and summa cum laude with an A.B. in History from Georgetown College in 1957. While at Georgetown, he also studied at the University of Fribourg, Switzerland and went on to study law at harvard Law School, where he was a Notes Editor for the Harvard Law Review. He graduated magna cum laude from Harvard Law in 1960, becoming a Sheldon Fellow of Harvard University the following year. On September 10, 1960, Scalia married Maureen McCarthy, an English major at Radcliffe College. Together they have nine children—
Scalia started his education at Public School 13 in Queens. A practicing member of the Roman Catholic Church High School in Manhattan. He graduated first in his class and summa cum laude with an A.B. in History from Georgetown College in 1957. While at Georgetown, he also studied at the University of Fribourg, Switzerland and went on to study law at harvard Law School, where he was a Notes Editor for the Harvard Law Review. He graduated magna cum laude from Harvard Law in 1960, becoming a Sheldon Fellow of Harvard University the following year. On September 10, 1960, Scalia married Maureen McCarthy, an English major at Radcliffe College. Together they have nine children—
John Paul Stevens was born on April 20, 1920, in Chicago Illinois, to a wealthy family. His paternal grandfather had formed an insurance company and held real estate in Chicago, while his great-uncle owned the Stevens department store. His father, Ernest James Stevens, was a lawyer who later became a hotelier, owning two hotels, the La Salle and the Stevens Hotel. He lost ownership of the hotels during the Great Depression. His mother, Elizabeth Maude Street Stevens, a native of Michigan City, Indiana, was a high school English teacher. Two of his three older brothers also became lawyers.
David Souter was born in Melrose, Massachusetts, September 17, 1939. He is the only child of Joseph Alexander Souter (1904–1976) and Helen Adams Hackett Souter (1907–1995). After moving from Melrose at the age of 11, he spent most of his childhood and adolescence at his family's farm in Weare, New Hampshire. He attended Concord High School in New Hampshire.
He went on to Harvard College, from which he received his A.B. He was selected as a Rhodes Scholar and earned an M.A. from Magdalen College, Oxford, in 1963. He then entered Harvard Law School, graduating in 1966.
He went on to Harvard College, from which he received his A.B. He was selected as a Rhodes Scholar and earned an M.A. from Magdalen College, Oxford, in 1963. He then entered Harvard Law School, graduating in 1966.
Stephen Breyer was born to Irving Gerald Breyer and Anne A. Roberts, a middle-class jewish family in San Francisco, California. Breyer's father was legal counsel for the San Francisco Board of Education. Both Breyer and his younger brother Charles, who is a federal district judge, are Eagle Scouts. In 2007, Breyer was honored with the Distinguished Eagle Svout Award by the Boy Scouts of America.
In 1955, Breyer graduated from Lowell High School. After graduating from Lowell, Breyer went on to receive a Bachelor of Arts in philosophy from Stanford University, a Bachelor of Arts from Magdalen College at the University of Oxford as a Marshall Scholar, and a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B) from Harvard Law School.
John Roberts was born in Buffalo, New York in January 27, 1955, the son of John Glover (Jack) Roberts, Sr. (1928-2008) and Rosemary, née Podrasky. All of his maternal great-grandparents were from Czechoslovakia. His father was a plant manager with Bethlehem Steel. When Roberts was in second grade, his family moved to the beachside town of Long Beach, Indiana. He grew up with three sisters: Kathy, Peggy, and Barbara.
Roberts attended Notre Dame Elementary School, a catholic grade school in Long Beach then La Lumiere School, a Catholic boarding school in LaPorte, Indiana and was an excellent student and athlete. He was known for his devotion to his studies. He was captain of his football team (he later described himself as a "slow-footed linebacker"), and was a Regional Champion in wrestling. He participated in choir and drama, co-edited the school newspaper, and served on the athletic council and the Executive Committee of the Student Council.
He attended Harvard College graduating with an A.B. in history summa cum laude in three years. He then attended Harvard Law School, and was the managing editor of the Harvard Law Review. He graduated from law school with his J.D. magna cum laude in 1979.
Samuel Alito’s father, a long-time employee of the New Jersey state legislature, was a first-generation Italian American. During his confirmation hearings, Alito stated that the stories his father told him about being discriminated against for his nationality and Catholic religion and about having to build a comfortable life from humble beginnings had made him more disposed to treat everyone who came before him with respect. These statements were made in response to criticism that, as a Circuit Court judge, Alito had consistently ruled against the poor and minority litigants who came before him.
Anthony Kennedy might be the closest to an 'ivory tower' upbringing, growing up in Sacramento, California as the son of a prominent attorney. As a boy he came into contact with prominent attorneys such as Earl Warren. He served as a page in the California State Senate as a youngster. Kennedy graduated from C. K. McClatchy High School in 1954. He was an undergraduate student at Stanford University from 1954-58, graduating with a B.A. in Political Science, after spending his senior year at the London School of Economics. He earned an LL.B. from Harvard Law School in 1961.
So there we have our ‘ivory tower’ Supreme Court Justices. Perhaps President Obama was speaking of the ‘ivory tower’ at Harvard University Law School and that Judge Sotomayor comes from lowly Yale Law School?
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