Harry Blackmun

Harry Blackmun
Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States
In office June 9, 1970 – August 3, 1994[1]
Nominated by	Richard Nixon
Preceded by	Abe Fortas
Succeeded by	Stephen Breyer
Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit
In office September 21, 1959 – June 8, 1970
Nominated by	Dwight D. Eisenhower
Preceded by	John B. Sanborn Jr.
Succeeded by	Donald Roe Ross
Personal details
Born	Harry Andrew Blackmun (1908-11-12)November 12, 1908 Nashville, Illinois, U.S.
Died	March 4, 1999(1999-03-04) (aged 90) Arlington County, Virginia, U.S.
Resting place	Arlington National Cemetery
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Dorothy Clark ​ (m. 1941)​
Children	3
Education	Harvard University (AB, LLB)

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Harry Andrew Blackmun (November 12, 1908 – March 4, 1999) was an American lawyer and jurist who served as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1970 to 1994. Appointed by President Richard Nixon, Blackmun ultimately became one of the most liberal justices on the Court. He is best known as the author of the Court's opinion in Roe v. Wade.^[2]

Raised in Saint Paul, Minnesota, Blackmun graduated from Harvard Law School in 1932. He practiced law in the Twin Cities, representing clients such as the Mayo Clinic. In 1959, President Dwight D. Eisenhower appointed him to the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit. After the defeat of two previous nominees, President Nixon successfully nominated Blackmun to the Supreme Court to replace Associate Justice Abe Fortas. Blackmun and his close friend, Chief Justice Warren Burger, were often called the "Minnesota Twins", but Blackmun drifted away from Burger during their tenure on the court. He retired from the Court during President Bill Clinton's administration and was succeeded by Stephen Breyer.

Aside from Roe v. Wade, notable majority opinions by Blackmun include Bates v. State Bar of Arizona, Bigelow v. Commonwealth of Virginia, and Stanton v. Stanton. He joined part of the joint opinion in Planned Parenthood v. Casey but also filed a separate opinion, warning that Roe was in jeopardy. He wrote dissenting opinions in notable cases such as Furman v. Georgia, Bowers v. Hardwick, and DeShaney v. Winnebago County.