Harlan F. Stone

Details

Birth

October 11, 1872 · Chesterfield, New Hampshire

Death

April 22, 1946

Law school

columbia university

Prior experience

Various legal and public service prior to appointment

Biography

Harlan Fiske Stone (1872–1946) was an American jurist who served as Associate Justice and later Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court from 1925 until his death. Born in Chesterfield, New Hampshire, Stone graduated from Amherst College in 1894 and Columbia Law School in 1898. He practiced law in New York City and served as dean of Columbia Law School from 1910 to 1923. Stone briefly served as United States Attorney General under President Calvin Coolidge before his appointment to the Supreme Court in 1925. President Franklin D. Roosevelt elevated him to Chief Justice in 1941, making Stone the only person to serve in all three positions: Attorney General, Associate Justice, and Chief Justice. Stone's judicial philosophy emphasized judicial restraint and deference to legislative authority, particularly regarding economic regulation. He was instrumental in the Court's acceptance of New Deal legislation after initially opposing some early programs. His most significant contribution was the famous footnote four in United States v. Carolene Products Co. (1938), which established the framework for heightened judicial scrutiny of laws affecting fundamental rights and discrete minorities. Stone authored important opinions in cases involving civil liberties, including his dissent in Minersville School District v. Gobitis (1940), where he opposed mandatory flag salutes, presaging the Court's later reversal. As Chief Justice, he led the Court through World War II, balancing national security concerns with constitutional protections. Stone's legacy lies in his role in transitioning the Court from the Lochner era's economic substantive due process to a modern approach emphasizing civil rights and liberties while showing deference to economic legislation.

Notable opinions

• United States v. Carolene Products Co.
• West Coast Hotel Co. v. Parrish