● Deceased
Owen Roberts
1875–1955 · Supreme Court seat #74 · 1930–1945 · PA
Owen Roberts became the pivotal swing vote of the mid-1930s Court, and his 1937 shift toward upholding New Deal legislation — dubbed "the switch in time that saved nine" — is often credited with defusing FDR’s Court-packing plan, though historians still debate his actual motives.
Appointed By
Herbert Hoover
Predecessor
Edward Terry Sanford
Confirmed
May 20, 1930
Confirmation Vote
Acclamation
Tenure Began
June 2, 1930
Tenure Ended
July 31, 1945
Reason
Resigned