Sandra Day O'Connor, FWOTSC

Sandra Day O'Connor (confirmed 21 September 1981)

Nominated to the U.S. Supreme Court by Ronald Reagan on 19 August 1981, Sandra Day O'Connor (born 26 March 1930) was confirmed on 21 September 1981 by a Senate vote of 99-0.

In a letter to the New York Times on 5 October 1983, O'Connor referred to herself as "FWOTSC"--First Woman on the Supreme Court.

Noting that the Times had recently referred to the "nine old men" on the Supreme Court, she wrote:

According to the infomation available to me, and which I had assumed was generally available, for over two years now SCOTUS has not consisted of nine men. If you have any contradictory information, I would be grateful if you would forward it as I am sure the POTUS, the SCOTUS and the undersigned (the FWOTSC) would be most interested in seeing it.

Although she retired from the Court in 2006, she continues to be an inspiration to women in the U.S., not least for breaking the Supreme Court's glass ceiling.

Update, 1 December 2023: Sandra Day O’Connor has died, aged 93. For her Washington Post obituary, click here. And for The New York Times, here.

Sandra Day O'Connor, Sonia Sotomayor,
Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Elena Kagan

Ruth Bader Ginsburg: The Notorious R.B.G.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg (assumed office 10 August 1993)

On 10 August 1993, Ruth Bader Ginsburg took the oath of office for Associate Justice of the Supreme Court. 

She was the 107th justice on the Court--and only the second woman. 

And, thankfully for those of us who are huge fans of Justice Ginsburg, she has a great sense of humor in addition to her extraordinary legal and judicial talents--she is a fan of her elevation to iconic status as the Notorious R.B.G.

(In case you've missed it, here's the link to the Tumblr dedicated to "Ruth Bader Ginsburg, in all her glory."

Together, all four women who have served as justices on the
Supreme Court: Ginsburg, Sandra Day O'Connor,
Sonia Sotomayor, and Elena Kagan

Update: Ruth Bader Ginsburg died on 18 September 2020.

Sonia Sotomayor, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States

Sonia Maria Sotomayor (assumed office 8 August 2009)

Supreme Court Justice Sonia Maria Sotomayor

On 8 August 2009, Sonia Sotomayor became the 110th justice--and third woman--to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court.

Nominated to the court on 26 May 2009 by President Barack Obama, she was confirmed on 6 August 2009. She was sworn into office two days later.

Sotomayor at her swearing-in ceremony

Elena Kagan, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States

Elena Kagan (assumed office 7 August 2010)

Barack Obama announces Elena Kagan's nomination
to the Supreme Court

Nominated to the Supreme Court on 10 May 2010 by President Barack Obama, Elena Kagan became the fourth woman to serve on the court since it first assembled on 1 February 1790. (As of August 2010, there have been 112 justices.)

Kagan was sworn into office on 7 August 2010.

A 2009 image of Sandra Day O'Connor, 
the first woman justice of the Supreme Court,
and Elena Kagan, then U.S. Solicitor General