Willis Van Devanter

Details

Birth

April 17, 1859 · Marion, Indiana

Death

February 8, 1941

Law school

cincinnati, university of

Prior experience

U.s. court of appeals judge

Biography

Willis Van Devanter (April 17, 1859 – February 8, 1941) was an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court from 1910 to 1937. Born in Marion, Indiana, Van Devanter graduated from Indiana Asbury University (now DePauw University) in 1878 and earned his law degree from the University of Cincinnati Law School in 1881. He moved to Cheyenne, Wyoming Territory, where he practiced law and became active in Republican politics. Van Devanter served as chief justice of the Wyoming Supreme Court from 1889 to 1890 and later as a federal judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit from 1903 to 1910. President William Howard Taft nominated Van Devanter to the Supreme Court in 1910, where he became a leading conservative voice and a member of the "Four Horsemen," a group of justices who consistently opposed New Deal legislation during the 1930s. Van Devanter's judicial philosophy emphasized strict constitutional interpretation, limited federal power, and protection of property rights. He authored relatively few major opinions due to his deliberate writing style, but his most significant contribution was *McGrain v. Daugherty* (1927), which established Congress's power to compel testimony through subpoena. Van Devanter also wrote important decisions regarding Native American law and water rights, reflecting his Western background. He retired in 1937 during Franklin D. Roosevelt's court-packing controversy, contributing to the "switch in time that saved nine" that saw the Court become more receptive to New Deal programs. Van Devanter's legacy is primarily defined by his role in the constitutional conflicts of the early twentieth century and his expertise in federal jurisdiction and administrative law.

Notable opinions

• Schechter Poultry Corp. v. United States
• Swift & Co. v. United States