Abe Fortas
A brilliant legal mind and close presidential confidant whose Supreme Court tenure was cut short by scandal.
1910–1982 (age 72)·US Supreme Court justice from 1965 to 1969·Birthday: June 19·The Greatest Generation
Biography
Abe Fortas climbed from a humble Memphis childhood to the pinnacles of Washington power. A Yale Law graduate, he was a New Deal insider and a founding partner of a powerful D.C. law firm. His most famous client was Lyndon B. Johnson, a relationship that led to his appointment to the Supreme Court in 1965. On the bench, Fortas was a reliable liberal vote, writing key opinions on juvenile justice and free speech. His ascent seemed destined for the chief justiceship, but it unraveled swiftly. Revelations that he accepted, then returned, a fee from a financier under investigation led to a firestorm. Facing certain impeachment, he resigned in 1969, his career a stark lesson in the perils of blurring lines between judges and the political world.
The Greatest Generation
1901–1927
Grew up during the Depression, fought World War II, and built the postwar economic boom. Defined by shared sacrifice, institutional trust, and a belief that hard work and loyalty would be rewarded.
Abe was born in 1910, placing them squarely in The Greatest Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Abe Was Born
The biggest hits of 1910
Abe's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1910Born
Halley's Comet makes its closest approach
President: William Howard Taft
1915Started school
The Lusitania is sunk by a German U-boat
President: Woodrow Wilson
1923Became a teenager
The Great Kanto earthquake devastates Tokyo
President: Calvin Coolidge"Yes! We Have No Bananas" — Billy Jones
1926Could drive
Robert Goddard launches the first liquid-fueled rocket
President: Calvin Coolidge"Baby Face" — Jan Garber
1928Could vote
Alexander Fleming discovers penicillin; Mickey Mouse debuts
President: Calvin Coolidge"Ol' Man River" — Paul WhitemanBest Picture: Wings
1931Turned 21
The Empire State Building opens as the world's tallest
Gas: $0.17/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Minnie the Moocher" — Cab CallowayBest Picture: Cimarron
1940Turned 30
The Blitz: Germany bombs London
Gas: $0.18/galHome: $2,938Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"I'll Never Smile Again" — Tommy DorseyBest Picture: Rebecca
1950Turned 40
Korean War begins
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,354Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Goodnight Irene" — Gordon Jenkins & The WeaversBest Picture: All About Eve
1960Turned 50
Kennedy-Nixon debates become first televised presidential debates
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,900Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Theme from A Summer Place" — Percy FaithBest Picture: The Apartment
1970Turned 60
First Earth Day; The Beatles break up
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $17,000Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Bridge over Troubled Water" — Simon & GarfunkelBest Picture: Patton
1980Turned 70
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1982Died at 72
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
Key Achievements
- Appointed as an Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court by President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1965.
- As a lawyer, he successfully argued the landmark right-to-counsel case *Gideon v. Wainwright* before the Supreme Court.
- Served as a key advisor to President Lyndon B. Johnson on domestic policy and the Vietnam War.
- Played a significant role in United Nations organizing conferences as part of President Truman's delegation.
Did You Know?
He was a talented violinist and once played in a quartet with fellow Justice Hugo Black.
Fortas turned down President Johnson's initial offer to be Solicitor General before accepting the Supreme Court nomination.
The scandal that forced his resignation involved a $20,000 annual retainer from the family foundation of Wall Street figure Louis Wolfson.
He returned to private law practice after his resignation from the Court.
“The Constitution does not require that government be wise, only that it act within its powers.”
