THE
PRESIDENT: Jim and Janet and Nancy; members of the Rehnquist family;
colleagues of the Chief Justice. This afternoon the people of the United
States mourn the passing of the leader of a branch of the government,
the eight Justices of the Court pay final homage to their Chief and
friend, and a loving family bids farewell to a kind and gentle soul.
William Hubbs Rehnquist accomplished many things in his good life,
and rose to high places. And we remember the integrity and the sense of
duty that he brought to every task before him. That character was clear
in the young man of 18 who signed up for the Army Air Corps during the
second world war. The nation saw that character in his more than three
decades of service on our highest Court. And the nation saw it again
last January the 20th, when the Chief Justice made his way onto the
inaugural platform. Many will never forget the sight of this man,
weakened by illness, rise to his full height and say in a strong voice,
"Raise your right hand, Mr. President, and repeat after me."
It was more than a half-century ago that Bill Rehnquist first came to
the Supreme Court as a law clerk. As he would later recount the story,
he made that trip from Milwaukee, in the middle of the winter in an old
blue Studebaker with no heater. He recalled that as he began the
journey, he patted that car and thought, don't let me down, baby.
After a year-and-a-half in the Chambers of Justice Robert Jackson,
Bill Rehnquist left D.C. and headed for Phoenix with an even greater
love for the law -- and with something more: a beautiful fianc e named
Natalie Cornell. She would share his walk in life for nearly 40 years.
All who knew the Chief know how he cherished Nan and their time
together, and how much he missed his wife in the years without her.
In every chapter of his life, William Rehnquist stood apart for his
powerful intellect and clear convictions. In a profession that values
disciplined thought and persuasive ability, a talent like his gets
noticed in a hurry. Still in his 40s, he became the 100th Justice of the
Supreme Court, and one of the youngest in modern times.
After he moved to the center chair, William Rehnquist led the Court
for nearly two decades, and earned a place among our greatest chief
justices. He built consensus through openness and collegiality. He was a
distinguished scholar of the Constitution and a superb administrator of
the judicial conference. He understood the role of a judge and the place
of courts in our constitutional system. He was prudent in exercising
judicial power, and firm in defending judicial independence.
On the bench and as a leader of the federal courts, Chief Justice
Rehnquist was always a calm and steady presence. In his thinking and in
his bearing, he personified the ideal of fairness, and people could
sense it. Inside the Court, no man could have been a finer steward of
the institution, its customs, and its history.
As long as William Rehnquist was presiding, colleagues and advocates
knew that the proceedings would be orderly, on time, businesslike, and
occasionally humorous. Once during an oral argument, a lawyer criticized
his opponent's position by saying, "I doubt very much it will fool this
Court." The Chief Justice replied, "Don't overestimate us." (Laughter.)
In his time on the Court, William Rehnquist served with 16 other
justices, and by all accounts, each one of his colleagues regarded the
man with respect and affection. Justice William Brennan once said to a
visitor, "I cannot begin to tell you ... how fond all of us are of him
personally."
Throughout this city of government, people saw William Rehnquist in
that same way. He carried himself with dignity, but without pretense.
Like Ronald Reagan, the President who elevated him to Chief Justice, he
was kindly and decent, and there was not an ounce of self-importance
about him. It is rare that -- it is a rare man who can hold a prominent
position in Washington, D.C., for more than 30 years and leave behind
only good feelings and admiration. That's what William Rehnquist did.
His law clerks knew him as a demanding boss who pressed them, as one
said, to "read carefully, write clearly, and to think hard." But the
clerks also became an extension of the Chief's family, joining him for
walks around the Capitol, or for lunch or dinner, or games of tennis or
charades. His clerks remember those times with fondness. And even more,
they remember his vast store of knowledge and his daily example of clear
thinking and character. To work beside William Rehnquist was to learn
how a wise man looks at the law and how a good man looks at life.
The Chief Justice was devoted to his public duties, but not consumed
by them. He was a renaissance man, a man who adored his family, a man
who always kept things in balance. He read works of history and wrote a
few fine ones of his own. He knew how to paint, and he knew how to win
at bridge and poker. He had a passion for the classics, for astronomy,
and for college basketball. He enjoyed music, and having stood next to
him during the National Anthem, I can tell you the man loved to sing.
(Laughter.)
William Rehnquist often reminded young lawyers of the ancient insight
that time is the most valuable thing a man can spend. He spoke with
feeling about the need to choose wisely, doing your job well, and never
forgetting the other important things that also take time: love for one
another, being a good parent to a child, service to your community. He
might have added, the importance of being a loving grandfather, because
he was clearly that, too.
The 16th Chief Justice of the United States was given 80 years of
life. He filled those years with purpose, a gracious spirit, and
faithful service to God and country to the very end. He now goes to his
rest beside his beloved Nan. And William H. Rehnquist leaves behind the
gratitude of our whole nation. We're proud of our Chief Justice, and
America honors his memory. May God bless him.