Harry Andrew Blackmun (1908–99) was an American lawyer and Supreme Court justice, best known for authoring Roe v. Wade (1973,) which established constitutional abortion rights. Over his tenure, he shifted from a conservative jurist to a champion of individual liberties.
Born in Nashville, Illinois, Blackmun grew up in Saint Paul, Minnesota, and attended Harvard University, earning an A.B. in mathematics (1929) and LLB (1932.) He clerked for Judge John B. Sanborn before practicing law in Minneapolis, specializing in taxation and litigation. In 1959, President Dwight D. Eisenhower appointed him to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, where he served until 1970.
Nominated by President Richard Nixon, Blackmun joined the U.S. Supreme Court (1970–94.) Initially aligned with Chief Justice Warren Burger, he later became one of the Court’s most liberal voices, advocating for women’s rights, civil liberties, and opposing the death penalty.
Notable works include The Supreme Court and Individual Rights (1980) on constitutional protections and Judicial Independence and the Supreme Court (1995) on the judiciary’s role.
More: Wikipedia • READ: Works by Harry A. Blackmun
In order to get beyond racism, we must first take account of race. There is no other way. And in order to treat some persons equally, we must treat them differently.
—Harry A. Blackmun
Topics: Racism
Leave a Reply