Sandra Day O'Connor Being Sworn In
9/25/1981
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Sandra Day O’Connor, the first woman to be appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court, was sworn in on September 25, 1981. Chief Justice Warren Burger administered the oath as Justice O’Connor’s husband, John, looked on. She served 24 years on the Supreme Court before her retirement in 2006.
O’Connor’s influence on the court was immense, as she often acted as a swing vote on key decisions. Some of the notable cases that O’Connor worked on include Bush v. Gore (2000), which confirmed George W. Bush as President, and Planned Parenthood v. Casey (1992), which helped uphold the Roe v. Wade (1973) decision that legalized abortion. And she was the deciding vote on a number of anti-discrimination and civil rights related cases.
Her time on the court also showcased her resilience, as she fought breast cancer. After being diagnosed, there was speculation that she would retire from the court, but O’Connor continued her service. Even though she needed surgery and received chemotherapy, she did not miss any oral arguments and continued her duties as a Justice.
O’Connor was the lone female Supreme Court Justice for most of her tenure, until Justice Ginsburg joined her in 1993. However, O’Connor did not want her gender to be a confining factor of her identity as a strong and effective Justice. “The power I exert on the court depends on the power of my arguments, not on my gender,” Sandra Day O’Connor famously said.
O’Connor’s influence on the court was immense, as she often acted as a swing vote on key decisions. Some of the notable cases that O’Connor worked on include Bush v. Gore (2000), which confirmed George W. Bush as President, and Planned Parenthood v. Casey (1992), which helped uphold the Roe v. Wade (1973) decision that legalized abortion. And she was the deciding vote on a number of anti-discrimination and civil rights related cases.
Her time on the court also showcased her resilience, as she fought breast cancer. After being diagnosed, there was speculation that she would retire from the court, but O’Connor continued her service. Even though she needed surgery and received chemotherapy, she did not miss any oral arguments and continued her duties as a Justice.
O’Connor was the lone female Supreme Court Justice for most of her tenure, until Justice Ginsburg joined her in 1993. However, O’Connor did not want her gender to be a confining factor of her identity as a strong and effective Justice. “The power I exert on the court depends on the power of my arguments, not on my gender,” Sandra Day O’Connor famously said.
This primary source comes from the Collection RR-WHPO: White House Photographic Collection.
National Archives Identifier: 276563289
Full Citation: C4121-11a; Sandra Day O'Connor Being Sworn in as Supreme Court Justice by Chief Justice Warren Burger, Her Husband John O'Connor Looks On; 9/25/1981; Reagan White House Photographs, 1/20/1981 - 1/20/1989; Collection RR-WHPO: White House Photographic Collection; Ronald Reagan Library, Simi Valley, CA. [Online Version, https://docsteach.org/documents/document/oconnor-sworn-in, October 3, 2024]Rights: Public Domain, Free of Known Copyright Restrictions. Learn more on our privacy and legal page.
