Pierce Butler (judge)

Pierce Butler
Butler c. 1922
Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States
In office January 2, 1923 – November 16, 1939[1]
Nominated by	Warren G. Harding
Preceded by	William R. Day
Succeeded by	Frank Murphy
Personal details
Born	(1866-03-17)March 17, 1866 Dakota County, Minnesota, U.S.
Died	November 16, 1939(1939-11-16) (aged 73) Washington, D.C., U.S.
Resting place	Calvary Cemetery
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Annie Cronin ​ (m. 1891)​
Children	8
Education	Carleton College (BA, BS)
Signature

Pierce Butler (March 17, 1866 – November 16, 1939) was an American jurist who served as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1923 until his death in 1939. He is notable for being the first Supreme Court justice from Minnesota, and for being a Democrat appointed by a Republican president. He was a staunch conservative and was regarded as a part of the Four Horsemen, the conservative bloc that dominated the Supreme Court during the 1930s. A devout Catholic, he was also the sole dissenter in the later case Buck v. Bell, though he did not write an opinion.