Warren’s Court
“CHIEF JUSTICE VINSON DIES OF HEART ATTACK”
-Headline from the New York Times, September 1953
“ I remember the President coming to my office the day after we had learned of the Chief Justice’s heart attack, he had this odd air about him, I knew he was trying to seem saddened, and indeed I think his heart was there, but his mind was clearly ready to move forward onto the work that Justice Vinson was known to block.”
-Quote from Attorney General Hebert Brownell Jr
“I remember quite early on realizing that Warren was focused on people he personally had worked with, even though they were almost exclusively Democrats. He suggested I begin to watch Robert Kenny, I did, and I observed the activities and policies of a typical liberal democrat. Then he moved on to Chief Justice of California, Phil S Gibson, who he thought would uphold his administration’s policies, though he quickly brushed past him as well due to more personal reasons. I tried to inform him as politely as possible that appointing any Democrat to the Supreme Court would essentially sink any confidence the party still had left in him.”
-Quote from Chief of Staff Thomas Kuchell
“Despite the general practice, rumors and inside sources say numerous Democrats and ex-Roosevelt advisors were considered by President Warren. According to some, even Truman appointee Judge Francis Duffy was being considered. Also, heavily emphasized is his consideration of fellow Californians, to the point he returned to his home state, for the expressed purpose of visiting, but with clear intent to talk to several possible appointees.”
-Excerpt from In Pursuit of Justices
“I remember the Senator was quite nervous about who would be chosen by the President, fearing that he’d have to either doom the country to many more years of this progressive ideological radicalism or else risk all party unity. If the President decided to make it a recess appointment, there was still the question of whether or not to speak out on the issue. I think the Senator was even more incensed because he truly loathed the man chosen by Warren.”
-Quote from the aide of an anonymous Republican senator
“Despite claims of being controlled by the party or a leaf in the wind of party opinion, Warren proved these wrong numerous times very early on, from his arguments on healthcare to his choice of Chief Justice.”
-Excerpt from an essay on Earl Warren
“It was a clear day and an early morning. The Governor had called his board of advisors and officials for a meeting to discuss an issue regarding infrastructure construction safety, superficially regarding multiple municipal laws he’d hoped to be able to discuss. He mulled around the house a little longer than usual that day, much to the consternation of his aides, reading up on a local legal case he had both much and little interest in. In a certain way, that is how the Governor felt about all local politics, after much time on the national stage and a grand role in his party, it was almost difficult to settle back into state politics and petty big machine feuds, though he believed he would soon fall back into step. This was not to be though, as he came to his office, he was met with various aides who let him know a call had come in for him from Washington, and within a few hours, Governor Dewey was on his way back to Washington D.C.”
-Excerpt from The Life and Times of Thomas Dewey
“Dewey was of course, for men like Warren, the perfect candidate. A well-known legal figure, with a strong progressive background, who was well liked by enough of the party. No one then was shocked all too much when news of the consideration of Dewey spread, though many believe it did cause some heartache from the more conservative wing of the party.”
-Excerpt from Inside the Warren White House
“DEWEY CONFIRMED TO BE SUPREME COURT CHIEF JUSTICE”
-Headline from the New York Times
“That was the power of the recess appointment, Dewey was rushed through, without too much screaming and crying mind you, and we had the court. I remember it was a hectic few days while this was all going on but once it was done, it was done, it was Warren’s court now. And soon the entire nation would see would a Warren court would do. I’ll be honest, I was one of many disillusioned liberals who thought Dewey’s ascendance would do little to push our agenda through, I will admit now I was wrong, and if I had to tell you who was the better man, well, let’s save that for off interview eh?”
-Quote from an Aide to Chief of Staff Thomas Kuchell in Inside the Warren White House
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