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[[Image:Williamodouglas.jpg|right|thumb|Justice Douglas]]

|image=Williamodouglas.jpg

|party=

|spouse=Mildred Riddle  (1923–1953)<br/>Mercedes Hester Davidson (1954–1963)<br/>Joan Martin (1963–1966) <br/>Cathleen Heffernan (1967–death)

|religion=Presbyterian

{{Officeholder/Supreme Court Justice

|succeeded=[[John Paul Stevens]]

'''William Orville Douglas''' (1898-1980) was the longest serving Justice of the [[U.S. Supreme Court]] in history, remaining on the bench for 36 years.  Appointed by President [[Franklin Delano Roosevelt]], Douglas had been a law professor at [[Yale]] and [[Columbia University]].  Douglas is considered to have been one of the smarter Supreme Court Justices in history,<ref>http://www.alandershowitz.com/publications/docs/WildBill.html</ref> but also one of the most activist.<ref>"I don't follow precedents, I make

'''William Orville Douglas''' (1898-1980) was the longest serving Justice of the [[U.S. Supreme Court]] in history, remaining on the bench for 36 years.  Appointed by President [[Franklin Delano Roosevelt]], Douglas had been a law professor at [[Yale]] and [[Columbia University]].  Douglas is considered to have been one of the smarter Supreme Court Justices in history,<ref>http://www.alandershowitz.com/publications/docs/WildBill.html</ref> but also one of the most activist.<ref>"I don't follow precedents, I make

'em." (William O. Douglas, quoted by R. A. Posner, New Republic, 24 February 2003.)</ref>  He is an example of how a Justice can become increasingly liberal the longer he remains on the Supreme Court.

'em." (William O. Douglas, quoted by R. A. Posner, New Republic, 24 February 2003.)</ref>  He is an example of how a Justice can become increasingly liberal the longer he remains on the Supreme Court.

==Notes==

==Notes==

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[[category:United States Supreme Court Justices]]

[[category:United States Supreme Court Justices]]