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William Orville Douglas
Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States · 1939
William Orville Douglas , Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. The Senate voted 62–4 on the nomination on Apr 4, 1939 (). William Orville Douglas (October 16, 1898 – January 19, 1980) was an American jurist who served as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1939 to 1975. Douglas was known for his strong progressive and civil libertarian views and is often cited as the most liberal justice in the U.S. Supreme Court’s history. Nominated by President Franklin D.
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Positions
- Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States1939-04-17–1975-11-12
Senate confirmation votes
- Associate justice of the supreme court of the united states
76th Congress · 62–4 · Apr 4, 1939
Education
- Whitman CollegeA.B., 1920
- Columbia Law SchoolLL.B., 1925
Career
Private practice, New York City, 1925-1926; Assistant professor of law, Columbia Law School, 1926-1928; Sterling professor of law, Yale Law School, 1928-1936; Director, Protective Study Committee, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, 1934-1936; Commissioner, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, 1936-1939; chairman, 1937-1939
Biography
William Orville Douglas (October 16, 1898 – January 19, 1980) was an American jurist who served as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1939 to 1975. Douglas was known for his strong progressive and civil libertarian views and is often cited as the most liberal justice in the U.S. Supreme Court’s history. Nominated by President Franklin D.
From Wikipedia (CC BY-SA).
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From Senate roll call votes, Wikidata, Wikipedia and Office of Government Ethics records.
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Capitol Receipts, “William Orville Douglas : Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of…,” https://www.capitolreceipts.com/appointee/j640/william-orville-douglas (accessed 2026-10-12).