● Deceased
William O. Douglas
1898–1980 · Supreme Court seat #79 · 1939–1975 · CT
William O. Douglas served longer than any other justice in the Court’s history — over 36 years — and authored the majority opinion in Griswold v. Connecticut (1965), which first articulated a constitutional right to privacy grounded in the "penumbras" of the Bill of Rights.
Appointed By
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Predecessor
Louis Brandeis
Confirmed
April 4, 1939
Confirmation Vote
62–4
Tenure Began
April 17, 1939
Tenure Ended
November 12, 1975
Reason
Retired