David Souter facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
David Souter
|
|
|---|---|
Official portrait, 1990
|
|
| Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States | |
| In office October 9, 1990 – June 29, 2009 |
|
| Nominated by | George H. W. Bush |
| Preceded by | William J. Brennan Jr. |
| Succeeded by | Sonia Sotomayor |
| Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit | |
| In office May 25, 1990 – October 9, 1990 |
|
| Nominated by | George H. W. Bush |
| Preceded by | Hugh H. Bownes |
| Succeeded by | Norman H. Stahl |
| Associate Justice of the New Hampshire Supreme Court | |
| In office 1983–1990 |
|
| Nominated by | John Sununu |
| Preceded by | Maurice Bois |
| Succeeded by | Sherman Horton |
| 20th Attorney General of New Hampshire | |
| In office July 17, 1976 – September 19, 1978 |
|
| Governor | Meldrim Thomson Jr. |
| Preceded by | Warren Rudman |
| Succeeded by | Thomas D. Rath |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
David Hackett Souter
September 17, 1939 Melrose, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Died | May 8, 2025 (aged 85) Hopkinton, New Hampshire, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Education | Harvard University (BA, LLB) Magdalen College, Oxford (MA) |
| Signature |  |
David Hackett Souter (born September 17, 1939 – died May 8, 2025) was an American lawyer and judge. He served as an Associate Justice on the U.S. Supreme Court from 1990 until he retired in 2009.
President George H. W. Bush chose him to take the place of Justice William J. Brennan Jr.. Souter was a judge during the time of both the Rehnquist and Roberts Supreme Courts.
David Souter grew up in New England. He went to Harvard College, Magdalen College, Oxford, and Harvard Law School. After working for a short time in a private law firm, he began working for the public. He was a prosecutor and later the Attorney General of New Hampshire. He also served as a judge in New Hampshire courts and briefly on a federal appeals court.
In 2009, after Barack Obama became president, Justice Souter announced he would retire from the Supreme Court. Sonia Sotomayor took his place. Even after retiring, Souter continued to hear cases in lower federal courts.
Contents
Early Life and School Days
David Souter was born in Melrose, Massachusetts, on September 17, 1939. He was the only child of Joseph Alexander Souter and Helen Adams Souter. His family moved to a farm in Weare, New Hampshire, when he was 11 years old.
He graduated from Concord High School in 1957. He then went to Harvard University, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1961. He studied philosophy and wrote about the legal ideas of Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr..
Souter was chosen as a Rhodes Scholar. This allowed him to study at Magdalen College, Oxford, in England, where he earned a degree in law in 1963. He later earned his law degree from Harvard Law School in 1966.
Starting His Legal Career
In 1968, David Souter began working for the public as an Assistant Attorney General in New Hampshire. Before that, he worked for two years at a law firm in Concord, New Hampshire.
In 1971, Warren Rudman, who was then the Attorney General of New Hampshire, chose Souter to be his Deputy Attorney General. Souter later became the Attorney General of New Hampshire himself in 1976.
In 1978, Souter was named a judge on the Superior Court of New Hampshire. After four years of experience as a trial judge, he was appointed to the New Hampshire Supreme Court in 1983.
Shortly after George H. W. Bush became president, he nominated Souter to be a judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. Souter had many years of experience as a judge and lawyer. The Senate approved his nomination on April 27, 1990.
Becoming a Supreme Court Justice
President George H. W. Bush was looking for someone to fill a vacant seat on the Supreme Court. Warren Rudman, who was now a U.S. Senator, and John H. Sununu, who was Bush's chief of staff, suggested David Souter.
President Bush was very impressed by Souter's intelligence. At the time, not many people outside of New Hampshire knew who Souter was. He was seen as a "stealth justice" because his past work didn't show much about his views on big national legal issues. This was seen as a good thing, as a previous nominee, Robert Bork, had been rejected partly because of his many written opinions.
President Bush nominated Souter on July 25, 1990.
His Confirmation Hearings
The Senate held hearings to decide if Souter should become a Supreme Court Justice. Some groups, like the National Organization for Women and the NAACP, were against his nomination. They worried about how he might rule on important issues.
During his opening statement, Souter spoke about the importance of judges making the right decisions. He said, "At the end of our task some human being is going to be affected. Some human life is going to be changed in some way by what we do."
Despite some opposition, Souter was easily approved. Many senators were impressed by his intelligence. The Senate Judiciary Committee voted 13–1 to recommend him, and the full Senate confirmed him by a vote of 90–9. He was sworn into office on October 9, 1990.
His Time on the Supreme Court
Justice Souter believed that cameras should not be allowed in the Supreme Court during arguments. He thought that questions might be taken out of context by the media. He also worried that it would make the court proceedings too political.
Souter also represented the Court to Congress sometimes. He would talk to committees about the Court's needs, like funding to fix its building.
What was his judicial style?
When Souter was first appointed, some people thought he would be a very conservative judge. However, he described himself as someone who didn't like big, sudden changes and who respected past legal decisions.
Over time, Souter's views seemed to become more moderate. In a 1992 case called Lee v. Weisman, he voted with the more liberal judges. This vote was against allowing prayer at a high school graduation ceremony.
By the late 1990s, Souter often voted with the Court's more liberal judges, like Stephen Breyer and Ruth Bader Ginsburg. He was seen as part of the Court's liberal side. Because of this, some conservatives felt that his appointment was a mistake.
How he was seen around the world
Even though Justice Souter didn't travel much outside the U.S. while on the Supreme Court, he was known in other countries. In 1995, a legal journal in Moscow published articles about his opinions. A Russian book was also written about him.
A judge from Russia's Constitutional Court, Yury Danilov, said that Souter "maintained the independence of his position" in a very important case called Bush v. Gore. He said Souter became "a symbol of the independence of the judiciary."
Retirement from the Court
Long before President Obama was elected, Souter wanted to leave Washington, D.C., and go back to New Hampshire. He didn't want to retire if it meant many judges would leave the Court at the same time. Once he was sure no other justices planned to retire, he told the White House in April 2009 that he would retire.
Souter sent his official retirement letter to President Obama on May 1, 2009. His retirement became official at the end of the Court's term. On May 26, 2009, President Obama announced that he would nominate federal judge Sonia Sotomayor to take Souter's place. She was confirmed by the Senate on August 6.
On June 29, 2009, the last day of the Court's term, Chief Justice Roberts read a letter to Souter. All eight of his fellow justices and retired Justice Sandra Day O'Connor had signed it, thanking him for his service. Souter then read a letter back to them.
Justice Souter's official papers have been given to the New Hampshire Historical Society. They will not be made public until at least 50 years after his death.
Life After the Supreme Court
Even after retiring from the Supreme Court, David Souter remained a judge with retired status. This meant he could still hear cases in lower courts. From his retirement until 2020, he regularly sat on panels of the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. This court covers Maine, Massachusetts, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, and his home state of New Hampshire.
Souter generally kept a quiet public life after leaving the Supreme Court. However, in 2012, he spoke about the dangers of "civic ignorance" (not knowing much about how government works). These comments were later seen as very wise, especially during the 2016 presidential campaign of Donald Trump.
David Souter's Personal Life
David Souter never married, though he was once engaged. He was a member of the Episcopal Church.
He was elected to the American Philosophical Society in 1994 and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1997.
In 2004, Souter was attacked while jogging in Washington, D.C. He had minor injuries. This event led to questions about the security for Supreme Court justices.
According to a 2007 book, Souter lived a very simple, low-tech life. He wrote with a fountain pen, didn't use email, and had no cell phone or answering machine. While on the Supreme Court, he liked to drive back to New Hampshire for the summer to go mountain climbing. Souter also did his own home repairs. He was known for eating an apple and plain yogurt for lunch every day.
A former Supreme Court reporter, Linda Greenhouse, wrote that Souter was very good at his job. She said he was always well-prepared and asked thoughtful questions. She noted that he chose to live a simple life that brought him joy, like hiking, sailing, spending time with friends, and reading history.
In August 2009, Souter moved from his family farmhouse in Weare to a smaller, single-story house in nearby Hopkinton, New Hampshire. He explained that his old farmhouse wasn't strong enough for his thousands of books.
Over the years, Souter served on hospital boards and other community groups. He was also an honorary co-chair for the "We the People" program, which teaches students about the U.S. Constitution.
His Passing
David Souter passed away at his home on May 8, 2025, at the age of 85. Chief Justice John Roberts shared a statement after his death. He said that Justice Souter served the Court with "great distinction" and brought "uncommon wisdom and kindness" to his public service. He also mentioned that Souter continued to serve by hearing cases in the Court of Appeals for more than ten years after retiring.
