American Women! exhibit--Sandra Day O'Connor and Ruth Bader Ginsburg

"Do the best you can in every task, no matter how unimportant it may seem at the time."

"Civil liberties are an essential part of the overall human rights concern--the equality of all people and the ability to be free.""

Two intelligent, ambitious women currently serve on the U.S. Supreme Court. One grew up in the rural West and the other in the urban East. One is a Republican and the other is a Democrat. But both faced discrimination because they were women and overcame adversity to sit on the high court.

Sandra Day O'Connor was the first woman to be appointed. After an education at Stanford University, she returned to her native Arizona and became involved in Republican Party politics. She was serving as on the Arizona Court of Appeals when Ronald Reagan nominated her to a seat on the Supreme Court in 1981.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg was the second woman nominated. Educated at Cornell University and Columbia University, Ginsburg became the first tenured female professor at the latter school. She became a judge of the U.S Court of Appeals in 1979 and was nominated to the high court by Bill Clinton in 1993.

Although they come from different backgrounds, these two justices share a sensitivity to women's issues and in recent years have taken moderate positions on cases before the court.

CONSTITUTIONAL OATH OF OFFICE, autographed by Sandra Day O'Connor and Chief Justice Warren Burger
PHOTO of O'Connor taking the oath of office.
AWARD, National First Ladies Hall of Fame, presented to O'Connor
MEET MY GRANDMOTHER written by O'Connor's granddaughter
LADY JUSTICE statue
OFFICIAL PHOTOGRAPH, autographed by O'Connor
-- On loan from the collections of the Supreme Court of the United States, Washington D.C.

LADY JUSTICE statue
-- On loan from the Supreme Court Historical Society, Washington D.C.

MAJORITY OPINIONS, autographed by Ruth Bader Ginsburg
PHOTOGRAPH, "Best wishes for the celebration of American Women 2000" autographed by Justice Ginsburg
-- On loan from Ruth Bader Ginsberg, Supreme Court of the United States, Washington D.C.

Return to the "Into the 21st Century, 1990 onward" index page
	From Colony to Country, 1600-1800	From Jazz to War 1920-1950
	From Growth to Civil War, 1800-1870	From Fifties to Feminism, 1950-1990
	From Prairie to Polls, 1870-1920

View an alphabetical list of all 106 women included in American Women! with links to photos and biographies for selected women
View a Thank You to over 100 lenders to Ameican Women!
Return to American Women! index page
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