Ronald Reagan: Letter Accepting the Retirement of Potter Stewart as Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court

You can search the Public Papers in two ways:

1. Search by Keyword and Year
You can search by keyword and choose the range of years within your search by filling out the boxes under Search the Public Papers.

2. View by Month and/or Year
Select the month and/or year you would like information about and press View Public Papers. Then choose a Public Paper and the page will load for you.

Search Engine provided by the Harry S. Truman Library. Our thanks to
Jim Borwick and Dr. Rafee Che Kassim at Project Whistlestop for critical assistance in the implementation of the search function, and to Scott Roley at the Truman Library for facilitating this collaboration.

Letter Accepting the Retirement of Potter Stewart as Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court
June 18, 1981

Ronald Reagan
1981

Font Size:

Report Typo

Dear Mr. Justice:

It is with the deepest regret and appreciation for your long and outstanding service to our Nation that, at your request, I accept your retirement as Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, effective July 3, 1981.

Throughout your distinguished judicial career you have shown unfailing dedication to the Court, to the highest standards of the legal profession, and to the fundamental principles and protections of our Constitution. Your opinions have reflected concern for striking appropriate balances between federal and state authority, between individual freedoms and the legitimate interests of community and government, and between preservation of our timeless values and the need to allow for reform and change. And you have expressed your views with special grace and lucidity, which will help make yours an enduring presence in our law.

When you came to the Court you swore to "administer justice without respect to persons," and to "do equal right to the poor and to the rich . . . agreeably to the Constitution and laws of the United States." You can leave with the assurance that you have kept your solemn oath.

I hope that the Nation can continue to call on your services, and I wish you and Mrs. Stewart a long and happy retirement.
Sincerely,

RONALD REAGAN

Note: On the same day, the White House announced that the President and Justice Stewart had met at the White House on May 18, at which time the Justice gave the President a letter which expressed his intention to retire.

Citation: John T. Woolley and Gerhard Peters, The American Presidency Project [online]. Santa Barbara, CA. Available from World Wide Web: http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/?pid=43974.

Home