Arthur Goldberg
A brilliant labor lawyer who ascended from the Supreme Court to the UN, shaping American law and diplomacy during the Cold War.
1908–1990 (age 82)·American statesman and jurist·Birthday: August 8·The Greatest Generation
Biography
Arthur Goldberg's career was a masterclass in public service, moving seamlessly between the highest chambers of law, labor, and global politics. The son of Jewish immigrants, he built a formidable reputation in Chicago as the nation's preeminent labor attorney, representing steelworkers and orchestrating the merger of the AFL and CIO. President Kennedy tapped him as Secretary of Labor, where he brought a mediator's touch to the cabinet. His most enduring legacy came with a surprise appointment to the Supreme Court in 1962. In just six years, he became a decisive liberal voice, writing the landmark opinion in *Griswold v. Connecticut* that established a constitutional 'right to privacy'—a foundational concept for future rulings. In a move that stunned Washington, President Johnson persuaded him to resign from the bench in 1965 to become Ambassador to the United Nations, a role where he vigorously defended U.S. policy in Vietnam. His was a life of immense influence, spent at the nerve centers of 20th-century American power.
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.
Arthur was born in 1908, 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 Arthur Was Born
The biggest hits of 1908
Arthur's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1908Born
Ford Model T goes into production
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1913Started school
The Federal Reserve is established
President: Woodrow Wilson
1921Became a teenager
First commercial radio broadcasts
President: Warren G. Harding"My Man" — Fanny Brice
1924Could drive
First Winter Olympics held in Chamonix, France
President: Calvin Coolidge"It Had to Be You" — Isham Jones
1926Could vote
Robert Goddard launches the first liquid-fueled rocket
President: Calvin Coolidge"Baby Face" — Jan Garber
1929Turned 21
Wall Street crashes, triggering the Great Depression
Gas: $0.21/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Singin' in the Rain" — Cliff EdwardsBest Picture: The Broadway Melody
1938Turned 30
Kristallnacht and the escalation toward WWII
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $2,850Min wage: $0.25/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Begin the Beguine" — Artie ShawBest Picture: You Can't Take It with You
1948Turned 40
Israel declares independence; Berlin Blockade begins
Gas: $0.26/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Twelfth Street Rag" — Pee Wee HuntBest Picture: Hamlet
1958Turned 50
NASA founded
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Volare" — Domenico ModugnoBest Picture: Gigi
1968Turned 60
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1978Turned 70
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1988Turned 80
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1990Died at 82
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
Key Achievements
- Authored the Supreme Court's majority opinion in Griswold v. Connecticut (1965), which established a constitutional right to privacy.
- Served as the U.S. Secretary of Labor under President John F. Kennedy, helping to mediate major labor disputes.
- Was the chief legal architect behind the 1955 merger of the American Federation of Labor (AFL) and the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO).
- Served as the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations during the height of the Vietnam War.
Did You Know?
He resigned from the Supreme Court at the personal request of President Lyndon B. Johnson to become UN Ambassador.
Before his legal career, he worked in the Chicago stockyards as a youth.
He was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1978.
He served as a captain in the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), the precursor to the CIA, during World War II.
“The obvious purpose of the First Amendment is to protect and foster a robust dialogue of democracy.”
