William J. Brennan
| William Brennan | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States | |
|
In office October 15, 1956 – July 20, 1990 |
|
| Nominated by | Dwight Eisenhower |
| Preceded by | Sherman Minton |
| Succeeded by | David Souter |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
William Joseph Brennan Jr. April 25, 1906 Newark, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Died | July 24, 1997 (aged 91) Arlington, Virginia, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Marjorie Leonard (1927–1982) Mary Fowler (1983-1997) |
| Children | 3 |
| Education |
University of Pennsylvania (BS) Harvard Law School (JD) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |
 United States
|
| Service/branch |
 United States Army
|
| Years of service | 1942–1945 |
| Rank |
 Colonel
|
William Joseph Brennan Jr. (April 25, 1906 – July 24, 1997) was an American judge who served as an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court from 1956 to 1990. As the seventh longest-serving justice in Supreme Court history, he was known for being a leader of the Court's liberal wing.
He was known for his outspoken progressive views, including opposition to the death penalty and support for abortion rights. He authored several landmark case opinions, including Baker v. Carr, establishing the "one person, one vote" principle, and New York Times Co. v. Sullivan, which required "actual malice" in a libel suit against those deemed "public figures." Due to his ability to shape a wide variety of opinions and "bargain" for votes in many cases, he was considered to be among the Court's most influential members. Justice Antonin Scalia called Brennan "probably the most influential Justice of the [20th] century."
On November 30, 1993, Justice Brennan was presented with the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Bill Clinton.
Brennan was born in Newark, New Jersey, the second of eight children. His parents, William and Agnes (McDermott) Brennan, were Irish immigrants. They met in the United States, although both were originally from County Roscommon in Ireland. His father had little education; he worked as a metal polisher. However, he rose to a position of leadership, serving as the Commissioner of Public Safety for the city of Newark from 1927 to 1930.
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