John Paul Stevens was nominated by President Gerald Ford and began his term on the Supreme Court in December 1975. After deciding to follow in his father's footsteps, he received his
law degree from University of Chicago Northwestern University School of Law. Before making that decision, he first received his English degree from the University of Chicago in 1941 and then joined the U.S. Navy only one day before the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. Upon his return from the military, he graduated magna cum laude with what was the highest GPA the school had ever seen.
Initially, Stevens focused his legal attention to the field of
antitrust law before relocating to the D.C. area where he served on the Judiciary Committee of the House of Representatives. Although he has declared himself a Republican in the past, he now refuses to acknowledge which party has his loyalty. One thing's for sure, however, he doesn't mind owning up to what he perceives as his past mistakes. In November, 2010, Justice Stevens wrote an editorial that explained why, after supporting the death penalty for decades, he'd suddenly had reversal of heart.
Among other things, he says the death penalty is unconstitutional due to the heavy handed politics involved, racism on who receives the death penalty and because it is ''tinged with hysteria''. It should be noted he unequivocally supported the death penalty in 1976, when he was appointed to the Court. He went on to say ''the Court's promise made in 1976 had been betrayed'' and that there are racial disparities when it comes time to determine who lives and dies. This editorial, not published at the time this writing went to publication, is expected to be printed in The New York Times in early December, 2010.
He has played a role in some of the most relevant and historical legal decisions over the years, including the controversial Bush v. Gore in 2000, search and seizure issues relating to the Fourth Amendment and affirmative action. He was historically vocal in not only his decisions, but the justifications for making those decisions. He fought in World War II and was awarded the Bronze Star and the World War II Victory Medal .
For now, Stevens is managing to enjoy his retirement, even if he's not considering it a full time activity. He is currently the third longest Justice having served more than three and a half decades. He was 90 when his retirement took effect in April 2010. He and his second wife, Maryan Mulholland Simon, have been married since 1979. Justice Stevens has four children.
