October 4, 1937

Hugo Black, a native of Clay County, took his seat as an associate justice on the U.S. Supreme Court. Black studied law at the University of Alabama, served in World War I and represented Alabama in the U.S. Senate from 1927 until his appointment to the Supreme Court by President Franklin Roosevelt. Black served until his death in 1971. He’s perhaps best remembered as a champion of the First Amendment and his support of Brown v. Board of Education, which outlawed racial segregation in public education.

Read more at Encyclopedia of Alabama.

Hugo LaFayette Black (1886-1971) was an Alabama Democrat in the U.S. Senate (1926-1937) and a justice of the U.S. Supreme Court (1937-1971). He was known for his literal interpretation of the Constitution. Black was born in Clay County and graduated from the University of Alabama School of Law. (From Encyclopedia of Alabama, courtesy of Library of Congress)

Portrait of Supreme Court Justice Hugo La Fayette Black, 1937. (Harris & Ewing, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs)

Clay County native and U.S. Supreme Court Justice Hugo Black was responsible for some of the most progressive civil and legal reforms in the 20th century. He is remembered as a tireless advocate for minority rights and as a fierce defender of the First Amendment. (From Encyclopedia of Alabama, Alabama Department of Archives and History)

During his 34-year tenure on the United States Supreme Court, Justice Hugo L. Black (seated in the front row, second from left) issued opinions on some of the most controversial issues of the 20th century, including freedom of speech, school desegregation and separation of church and state. (From Encyclopedia of Alabama, courtesy of United States Supreme Court)

Painting of Supreme Court Justice Hugo La Fayette Black. (John Black, Wikipedia)

For more on Alabama’s Bicentennial, visit Alabama 200.