The Death of William Rehnquist

File Under: Losing Rehnquist

Chief Justice to the U.S. Supreme Court, William Rehnquist, has died from thyroid cancer. He was surrounded by his three children when he died at his home in Arlington, Virginia. He was 80 years old.

Rehnquist was appointed to the Supreme Court as an associate justice in 1971 by President Nixon and took his seat on Jan. 7, 1982. He was elevated to chief justice by President Reagan in 1986. He continued to serve on the bench up until the final days. He served for 33 years on the court.

He grew up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He attended public schools in Shorewood, and then got degrees from Stanford and Harvard. In 1943-1946, he served in the US Army Air Corps, both domestically and overseas. He was discharged with the rank of sergeant.

He was a clerk to Justice Robert H. Jackson for 16 months. He practiced law in Phoenix, Arizona, from 1953-1969. He engaged in general practice of law with a primary emphasis on civil litigation.