Mahlon Pitney

Details

Birth

February 5, 1858 · Morristown, New Jersey

Death

December 9, 1924

Law school

princeton university; read law (Pitney, Henry C.)

Prior experience

State highest court justice

Biography

Mahlon Pitney (1858–1924) was an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court from 1912 to 1922. Born in Morristown, New Jersey, to a prominent legal family, Pitney graduated from the College of New Jersey (now Princeton University) in 1879 and briefly attended law school before being admitted to the New Jersey bar in 1882. He established a successful law practice in Dover, New Jersey, and entered politics as a Republican, serving in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1895 to 1899 and later in the New Jersey Senate. Pitney was elected President of the New Jersey Senate in 1901 and served as an Associate Justice of the New Jersey Supreme Court from 1901 to 1908, followed by service as Chancellor of New Jersey until his appointment to the U.S. Supreme Court. President William Howard Taft nominated Pitney to the Supreme Court in February 1912, despite opposition from progressive Republicans and labor organizations who viewed him as conservative on labor issues. Pitney's judicial philosophy emphasized strict constitutional interpretation and limited federal power, particularly regarding labor relations and economic regulation. His most significant opinions included his majority decision in *Coppage v. Kansas* (1915), which struck down state laws prohibiting "yellow-dog contracts" that prevented workers from joining unions, and his dissent in *Hammer v. Dagenhart* (1918), where he surprisingly supported federal child labor regulations. Pitney also wrote important decisions on civil liberties and federal jurisdiction. His tenure was cut short by declining health, and he retired in December 1922, dying two years later. Pitney's legacy reflects the conservative jurisprudence of the early twentieth century, particularly regarding labor rights and federal regulatory power.

Notable opinions

• Eisner v. Macomber
• Gompers v. Buck's Stove & Range Co.