Powell’s Tenure Near Average for Court Members
The departure of Lewis F. Powell Jr. after 15 1/2 years on the Supreme Court marks a tenure just about average for members of the nation’s highest tribunal.
According to court records, 103 people have served on the court in the nation’s history, and of the 95 who are no longer on the court, the average term was 15.3 years.
William O. Douglas served the longest, 36 years, starting in 1939, while the shortest term was that of Thomas Johnson, from Aug. 6, 1792, to Feb. 1, 1793.
While Powell met the norm for length of term, he did not fit into the court’s long-term age pattern because he is older than the average justice. Powell was 64 when he was named to the high court and is now 79.
By comparison, the average age for all justices was 52.7 when sworn in, and 68.7 on leaving the court.
The oldest justice at swearing in was only a year older than Powell. That was Horace Harmon Lurton, who joined the court in 1910.
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