Sandra Day O’Connor will forever hold the distinction of being the first woman ever appointed to the United States Supreme Court. Her tenure lasted from 1981 when she was appointed at the age of 51 by then-President Ronald Reagan through the George Dubya administration until her retirement in 2006 (24 years). O’Connor was born in Texas, attended Stanford University as an undergrad and law student, and settled in Arizona to a life of politics (state senate). By the mid-1970s, Sandra switched from legislative work to judicial work when she ran for Country Superior Court judge and won. A conservative Republican, O’Connor had the reputation of being firm but just. She was then elected to the Arizona State Court of Appeals before President Reagan came a’callin and Sandra received unanimous approval from the U.S. Senate for her appointment as judge on the nation’s most “supreme†court – also representing a groundbreaking accomplishment on behalf of American women everywhere. During her 24 year tenure, Sandra Day O’Connor was respected for her moderate-conservative positions, her refusal to play politics and her firm but just interpretation of the law as it applied to the original intentions of the U.S. Constitution. Perhaps she said it best when she spoke the following words: “The power I exert on the court depends on the power of my arguments, not on my gender.” In 2009, President Obama awarded Sandra the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
