Sandra Day O'Connor

On July 7, 1981, President Ronald Reagan nominated Sandra Day O'Connor for the position of Associate Justice of the Supreme Court. With her appointment to the Supreme Court, Sandra Day O’Connor made history as the first woman to sit on the Court. But who is this woman whose career culminated in an appointment to the highest court in the country? How did her appointment reflect the changing roles of women following the Women’s Liberation Movement of the 1960s and the 1970s? This episode of Biography explores the life and career of this remarkable woman, and her historic role on the Supreme Court.

CURRICULUM LINKS: Sandra Day O’Connor would be useful for classes on American History, Judicial History, Women’s History and Civics. It is appropriate for middle school and high school.

OBJECTIVES: Students will learn about the composition and role of the Supreme Court in the judicial process. They will explore the significance of O’Connor’s historical appointment and the ways in which she has influenced the Court.

NATIONAL HISTORY STANDARDS: Sandra Day O’Connor fulfills the following National Standards for History for grades 5-12: chronological thinking, historical comprehension, historical analysis and interpretations for era 10.

• Aplomb
• Conservative
• Consummate
• Echelon
• Jurisprudence
• Liberal
• Minimalist
• Pragmatic
• Prestigious
• Provincial

1. Law professor Cass Sunstein described Sandra Day O’Connor as the “voice of centrism.” What is centrism and why does Sunstein consider O’Connor to be its voice?

2. Sandra Day O’Connor was the first woman appointed to the Supreme Court. It took 191 years for this to happen. Why did it take so long?

3. What is the Supreme Court? What are its functions? Who are its members?

4. Discuss the political background to O’Connor’s appointment.

5. What are O’Connor’s political beliefs?

6. Who was Barry Goldwater? How did he influence the appointment of O’Connor?

7. O’Connor led the “Federalist Revolution.” What was the Federalist Revolution?

8. Describe the early years of O’Connor’s life and her family background. How did her childhood contribute to, or influence her career choices?

9. How did O’Connor become interested in law?

10. Like many women of her generation, O’Connor faced discrimination because of her sex. Discuss some of the ways in which O’Connor was discriminated against.

11. Discuss some of the complex decisions, like affirmative action, O’Connor has made.

12. O’Connor is a mother as well as a Supreme Court justice. How did O’Connor balance the demands of work and family?

13. O’Connor like so many other women, battled breast cancer. How did she handle her cancer and maintain her position on the Court?

14. The Supreme Court decided the presidential election of 2000. Discuss O’Connor’s role and her decisions in this historic event.

1. Search the Internet for accounts of Sandra Day O’Connor’s appointment. What made her appointment so significant?

2. O’Connor is a breast cancer survivor. Go to the BreastCancer-Org http://www.breastcancer.org/ to find out about breast cancer and how you can help to erase it.

Primary Sources

• Follow this link (http://www.supremecourtus.gov) to an online copy of the US constitution, the document that created the Supreme Court.