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Deceased

Henry Billings Brown

1836–1913 · Supreme Court seat #52 · 1891–1906 · MI

Henry Billings Brown authored the Court’s majority opinion in Plessy v. Ferguson (1896), enshrining "separate but equal" as constitutional doctrine for the next 58 years, a decision that would come to define his legacy far more than any other case he heard.

Appointed By
Benjamin Harrison
Predecessor
Samuel Freeman Miller
Confirmed
December 29, 1890
Confirmation Vote
Acclamation
Tenure Began
January 5, 1891
Tenure Ended
May 28, 1906
Reason
Retired
Oral arguments & opinions on Oyez.org ↗Senate confirmation vote record ↗
David J. BrewerGeorge Shiras Jr.