Sandra Day O'Connor was born in El Paso, Texas, and grew up in southeastern Arizona on the Lazy B Ranch. Without many other children to play with, Justice O’Connor’s friends on the ranch were her parents, the ranch hands, and various wild animals that she sometimes kept as pets. From the ranch hands she learned to herd cattle, drive a truck, and play cards. When she was five years old, she began to spend the school year with her grandmother in El Paso to attend the Radford School, where one of her classmates was Sam Donaldson, who later became a prominent newscaster. Justice O’Connor went on to Stanford University for college and law school. Though she graduated third in her law school class of 102 students, she was not able to find a job at a law firm when she graduated in 1952, because law firms at the time did not hire women. Eventually, however, she found a job as a deputy county attorney in San Mateo, California. This job sparked Justice O’Connor’s lifelong passion for public service. She would go on to serve in all three branches of government, and at the local, state, and national level. Justice O’Connor became a Supreme Court Justice on September 26, 1981. She was the first woman to become a member of the Supreme Court. She retired from the Supreme Court in 2005, and is now focused on the importance of civic education and civic participation. Justice O’Connor wants to hear from you!

Photo courtesy of Dane Penland, Collection of the Supreme Court of the United States