July 7, 1981: The First Woman on the Court

Some turning points arrive with fanfare. This one arrived with a confirmation vote of 99 to nothing.On July 7, 1981, President Ronald Reagan nominated Sandra Day O'Connor to the United States Supreme Court, making her the first woman in the Court's 191-year history to be seated as a justice. O'Connor had graduated third in her class at Stanford Law School and still could not get a single law firm to hire her as a lawyer, building her career through public service instead before her appointment to the bench. She became the defining swing vote of her era, voting with the majority in 135 out of 175 cases decided 5-4 between 1994 and 2004, more than any other justice, and her independence from predictable ideological lines made her one of the most consequential justices in modern Court history. She retired in 2006 and died in Phoenix, Arizona in 2023.From bsnsHistory, the daily podcast about the moments when business quietly reshaped the world.Written and hosted by Ron Trucks. Research and editing by Rodney Russ. Sound design by Angela Cahoy. Music by Cody Martin and Soundstripe.For more daily business stories, visit www.bsnsDAILYpodcasts.com