David Hackett Souter was appointed to the United States Supreme Court by President George H. W. Bush on July 25, 1990. He was nominated to fill the seat vacated by Justice William J. Brennan Jr., who had announced his retirement. Souter, then serving as a judge on the New Hampshire Supreme Court, was considered a “stealth nominee” due to his limited paper trail and lack of controversial rulings, which made him an appealing choice for a Republican president seeking a consensus candidate. Wikipedia+1Wikipedia+1Reuters
President Bush was reportedly “highly impressed by Souter’s intellectual seriousness,” and his nomination was strongly supported by key political figures, including former New Hampshire Governor John Sununu and Senator Warren Rudman, both of whom had close ties to the Bush administration. Souter’s confirmation hearings were held in September 1990, and despite opposition from groups like the National Organization for Women and the NAACP, he was confirmed by the Senate with a 90–9 vote. Wikipedia+1Wikipedia+1
Justice Souter served on the Supreme Court from October 9, 1990, until his retirement on June 29, 2009. During his nearly two-decade tenure, he became known for his thoughtful and principled judicial philosophy, often aligning with the Court’s liberal wing on key issues such as abortion rights, church-state separation, and civil liberties. WikipediaWSJ+4People.com+4AP News+4
After retiring from the Supreme Court, Souter continued to contribute to the judiciary by serving on the First Circuit Court of Appeals until 2020. He remained a respected figure in American jurisprudence, known for his commitment to judicial independence and his aversion to the politicization of the judiciary.