Charles W. Pickering
A conservative Mississippi judge whose contentious confirmation battles became a flashpoint in America's political wars over the federal judiciary.
Born 1937 (age 89)·American judge·Birthday: May 29·The Silent Generation
Biography
Born in the piney woods of Mississippi, Charles Pickering built a legal career deeply intertwined with his state's political fabric. After earning his law degree from the University of Mississippi, he practiced law in Laurel and entered politics as a state senator, aligning himself with the segregationist wing of the Democratic Party before later becoming a Republican. His 1990 nomination to the federal bench by President George H.W. Bush began a decade-long saga. While serving as a district judge, he was noted for his efforts to foster racial reconciliation in sentencing guidelines, but his past writings on matters like interracial marriage made him a lightning rod. President George W. Bush's attempt to elevate him to a federal appeals court ignited a fierce Senate battle, with Democrats filibustering the nomination, casting him as a symbol of conservative judicial activism. Though given a recess appointment, he ultimately returned to private practice, leaving a legacy defined more by political conflict than judicial philosophy.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Charles was born in 1937, placing them squarely in The Silent 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 Charles Was Born
The biggest hits of 1937
#1 Movie
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
Best Picture
The Life of Emile Zola
Charles's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1937Born
Hindenburg disaster; Golden Gate Bridge opens
Gas: $0.20/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"A-Tisket, A-Tasket" — Ella FitzgeraldBest Picture: The Life of Emile Zola
1942Started school
Battle of Midway turns the tide in the Pacific
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $3,175Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"White Christmas" — Bing CrosbyBest Picture: Mrs. Miniver
1950Became a teenager
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
1953Could drive
DNA structure discovered by Watson and Crick
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,750Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Song from Moulin Rouge" — Percy FaithBest Picture: From Here to Eternity
1955Could vote
Rosa Parks refuses to give up her bus seat
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $9,550Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Rock Around the Clock" — Bill Haley & His CometsBest Picture: Marty
1958Turned 21
NASA founded
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Volare" — Domenico ModugnoBest Picture: Gigi
1967Turned 30
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1977Turned 40
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1987Turned 50
Black Monday stock market crash
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $72,400Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Walk Like an Egyptian" — The BanglesBest Picture: The Last Emperor
1997Turned 60
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2007Turned 70
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
2017Turned 80
#MeToo movement; solar eclipse crosses the US
Gas: $2.42/galHome: $195,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Shape of You" — Ed SheeranBest Picture: The Shape of Water
2026Age 89 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Served as a United States District Judge for the Southern District of Mississippi for over a decade.
- Was nominated by President George W. Bush to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, triggering a major Senate confirmation fight.
- Served as President of the Mississippi Baptist Convention in the early 1970s.
- Authored a book, 'Supreme Chaos: The Politics of Judicial Confirmation & the Culture War.'
Did You Know?
He was the first in his family to attend college, graduating from Jones County Junior College and the University of Mississippi.
Pickering clerked for Mississippi Supreme Court Justice Thomas P. Brady after law school.
His son, Charles Pickering Jr., also became a federal judge on the Fifth Circuit.
He was a delegate to the 1968 Democratic National Convention that saw protests in Chicago.
“The law must be applied as written, regardless of shifting political winds.”
