Potter Stewart

Date of Birth: January 23, 1915

Zodiac Sign: Aquarius

Date of Death: December 7, 1985

Biography

Potter Stewart was an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court, known for his moderate views and pragmatic approach to the law. Born on January 23, 1915, in Jackson, Michigan, Stewart grew up in a family with a strong legal background. His father, James Garfield Stewart, was a prominent lawyer and later served as a justice on the Ohio Supreme Court. Stewart graduated from Yale University in 1937 and then from Yale Law School in 1941. After serving in World War II as a member of the U.S. Naval Reserve, he returned to practice law in Cincinnati, Ohio. In 1954, President Dwight D. Eisenhower appointed Stewart to the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. Just four years later, in 1958, Eisenhower appointed him to the U.S. Supreme Court, where he served until his retirement in 1981. Stewart is perhaps best known for his nuanced opinions on civil rights, criminal justice, and the First Amendment. He played a pivotal role in landmark cases such as “Griswold v. Connecticut” and “Roe v. Wade.” He passed away on December 7, 1985, in Hanover, New Hampshire.

5 Interesting Facts about Potter Stewart

1. Stewart was a key swing vote on the Supreme Court during his tenure, often finding himself in the middle of the ideological spectrum.

2. He coined the famous phrase “I know it when I see it” regarding obscenity in the case of “Jacobellis v. Ohio.”

3. Stewart was instrumental in the decision of “Griswold v. Connecticut,” which established the right to privacy in marital relations.

4. He served on the Supreme Court for 23 years, from 1958 to 1981.

5. After retiring from the Supreme Court, Stewart served as a visiting professor at the University of Cincinnati College of Law.

5 Most Interesting Quotes from Potter Stewart

1. “I shall not today attempt further to define the kinds of material I understand to be embraced within that shorthand description [hard-core pornography]; and perhaps I could never succeed in intelligibly doing so. But I know it when I see it.”

2. “The dichotomy between personal liberties and property rights is a false one. Property does not have rights. People have rights.”

3. “Abortion is inherently different from other medical procedures because no other procedure involves the purposeful termination of a potential life.”

4. “The Fourth Amendment and the personal rights it secures have a long history. At the very core stands the right of a man to retreat into his own home and there be free from unreasonable governmental intrusion.”

5. “The right to be let alone is indeed the beginning of all freedom.”

Highest Net Worth Achieved

Potter Stewart’s highest net worth is not well-documented as is typical for public servants and judges. However, his lifetime earnings and benefits from his tenure as a Supreme Court Justice would have placed him comfortably in the upper-middle class.