Sandra Day O'Connor, the first female justice on the Supreme Court, passes away at the age of 93.

 

Sandra Day O'Connor

At 93 years old, the first female justice in the country's history has passed away.

According to a statement from the court, Sandra Day O'Connor, a trailblazing justice on the U.S. Supreme Court, passed away in Phoenix, Arizona, on Friday from complications associated with severe dementia, most likely Alzheimer's, and a respiratory ailment.

Sandra Day O'Connor was nominated by President Ronald Reagan in 1981, and in September of the same year, the whole Senate approved her, voting 99 to 0.

Throughout her nearly 25 years as an associate judge, the moderate O'Connor—who remained on the bench until her retirement in 2006—was frequently the deciding vote in atOptions = { 'key' : 'c6cd79a5d749f5471700bc8eeb41d40b', 'format' : 'iframe', 'height' : 90, 'width' : 728, 'params' : {} }; document.write(''); href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/visiting/exhibitions/SOCExhibit/Section3.aspx">significant cases that made it all the way to the Supreme Court.

During O'Connor's tenure, the justices rendered decisions in a number of well-known cases, such as Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania v. Casey, a 5-4 ruling that upheld the constitutional right to an abortion but allowed states to impose certain restrictions, and Bush v. Gore, which decided the 2000 presidential contest in George W. Bush's favor. In both instances, O'Connor agreed with the majority.

While promoting his biography "First: Sandra Day O'Connor," journalist and historian Evan Thomas stated to the National Archives in 2019 that "she was consequential."

According to Thomas, she cast the infamous "swing vote" 330 times in a 24-year period.

"And where it really mattered was in affirmative action and abortion rights," he stated, citing a number of rulings such as Grutter v. Bullinger, which maintained the University of Michigan's admissions policy that took race into account.

Justice Samuel Alito, who succeeded O'Connor in 2022, authored the majority judgment that overturned Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey, thus abolishing federal abortion rights.

A "trailblazer" and "true public servant"

In a statement released on Friday, Chief Justi ce John Roberts noted that O'Connor "blazed a historic trail as our Nation's first female Justice."

She approached the task with unwavering resolve, undeniable skill, and frank communication. At the Supreme Court, we are saddened by the passing of a cherished coworker, a fiercely independent protector of the law, and a persuasive supporter of civics education. And we honor her lasting legacy as a genuine public servant and national treasure," he declared.

According to a statement released by Kentucky Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, the "nation mourns the passing of a towering figure in the history of American law."

Sandra Day O'Connor led with a brilliance and determination that disarmed resistance, from her election as the first female Majority Leader in the history of American legislatures to her confirmation as the first female Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. The legacy of her part in historic rulings restoring federalism during her first several terms on the Court continues to reverberate in Constitutional jurisprudence, McConnell said. Her vote on the court frequently determined the majority in historic cases.

O'Connor cast critical votes in two 5-4 rulings in the mid-1990s and early 2000s that declared certain federal laws unconstitutional based on the Commerce Clause. These laws included the Violence Against Women Act and a statute that made it illegal to carry a pistol within 1,000 feet of a school.

O'Connor was referred to as the "conscience of the Court" by Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer of New York.

Schumer declared that Sandra Day O'Connor "was one of the true historic figures of the 20th century" in a statement released on Friday. Sandra Day O'Connor frequently cast the deciding vote in favor of Americans' rights in case after case—against discrimination, for women's rights, clean air protection, and voting rights protection. I express my condolences to the American people across for her loss today.

In a Friday morning post on X, Louisiana Speaker of the House Mike Johnson called O'Connor a "trailblazer" and a "legal giant."

He stated, "Judge O'Connor inspired a generation of women — including the five female Justices who succeeded her — to chart a path that previously seemed unattainable as the first woman to ever serve on the Supreme Court."

"She was universally recognized as the most powerful Justice on the bench during her tenure, even though she never held the position of Chief Justice."

Ruth Bader Ginsburg, nominated by former President Bill Clinton in 1993; Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan, nominated by former President Barack Obama in 2009 and 2010; Amy Coney Barrett, nominated by former President Donald Trump in 2020; and Ketanji Brown Jackson, nominated by President Joe Biden in 2022, were the women who succeeded O'Connor as justices of the Supreme Court.

Obama made a statement on Friday that narrated the widely known tale of O'Connor's difficulties in the 1950s to obtain employment in the legal industry as a woman, when she was approached about her typing abilities and given the opportunity to work as a legal secretary.

"Luckily for us, she aimed a little higher - becoming the first female justice on the U.S. Supreme Court," Obama remarked. Sandra Day O'Connor was a judge, legislator from Arizona, a child of the Texas plains, a cancer survivor, and a pilgrim who, as she sometimes cited in her poetry, blazed a new trail and built a bridge for all aspiring young women to follow. Michelle and I offer our condolences to Sandra's family as well as to everyone who was inspired by and learnt from her.

Sandra Day O'Connor Childhood and schooling

Sandra Day was born in El Paso, Texas, on March 26, 1930. Her parents are rancher Harry Alfred Day and Ada Mae (Wilkey). She was raised close to Duncan, Arizona, on a 198,000-acre family cattle ranch. as well as at her school in El Paso. The closest paved road was nine miles away from her house, and running water and electricity weren't available until Sandra was seven years old. She used to shoot jackrabbits and coyotes with a.22-caliber rifle that she had as a child. and had to learn how to fix a flat tire on her own. She started driving as soon as she could see over the dashboard. Sandra had two younger siblings who were eight and ten years younger than her, respectively: a sister and a brother.

From 1990 until 2000, her sister Ann Day served in the Arizona legislature. She co-wrote Lazy B: Growing up on a Cattle Ranch in the American Southwest (2002) with her brother, rancher H. Alan Day, on their shared childhood experiences. Day was able to return to the family ranch for holidays and the summer, but she spent the majority of her early school years living in El Paso with her maternal grandmother and attending the Radford School for Girls, a private school. Day did live at the ranch and take a bus 32 miles to school during her eighth-grade year. In 1946, she was the sixth graduate of her class from Austin High School in El Paso.

Day enrolled at Stanford University when she was sixteen years old and earned a B.A. in economics with honors in 1950. 1952 saw her finish at Stanford Law School and earn her legal degree. She worked for the Stanford Law Review, where William Rehnquist, the chief justice of the Supreme Court in the future, presided as editor-in-chief at the time. Day and Rehnquist dated in 1950 as well, but their romance ended when Rehnquist moved to Washington, D.C. after graduating. 1951 saw .But in a letter 37, 42, he made the marriage proposal, and Day turned it down (it was the first of four she had received while a Stanford student). 34 Day placed in the top 10% of her class and was awarded the Order of the Coif.

An important person for women in law

Five books have been written by O'Connor, including "Lazy B," a memoir from 2001 about her upbringing on a cattle ranch, and "Out of Order: Stories from the History of the Supreme Court," a book published in 2013.

Sandra Day O'Connor had surgery and medical treatment after receiving a diagnosis of breast cancer in 1988, yet she stayed on the high court bench.

Many people believe that Sandra Day O'Connor had a major role in allowing more women to enter the legal profession.

In a statement released on Friday, California's former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called O'Connor “an icon for working mothers and an inspiration to women across the country and around the world.”

Her tenure on the bench exemplified our country's best ideals: courage, integrity, patriotism, and justice, going beyond breaking through a glass ceiling.  Pelosi stated, "At the same time, she insisted on not being the last, having mentored so many women in the legal field, including our beloved Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

Just 36% of law students were female when Sandra Day O'Connor was selected to the Supreme Court, according to a 2018 article by Jessie Kratz, editor of the National Archives blog. By the time O'Connor retired in 2006, that percentage had increased to 48%.

According to the court's declaration on Friday, O'Connor is left by her brother Alan, with whom she co-wrote, as well as three children and six grandkids.

2009 saw the passing of her spouse, John O'Connor, with whom she had a legendary romance that numerous journalists have described.

As of Friday morning, the court had not yet disclosed O'Connor's funeral plans.

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