Who was Warren Earl Burger? Everything You Need to Know

Quick Facts

Also Known As: Warren E. Burger

Died At Age: 87

Family:

Spouse/Ex-: Elvera (Vera) Stromberg Burger, her death)

father: Charles Joseph Burger

mother: Katherine

children: Margaret Elizabeth, Wade Allen

Born Country: United States

Chief Justices American Men

Died on: June 25, 1995

U.S. State: Minnesota

City: Saint Paul, Minnesota

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1

What were some key decisions made by Warren Earl Burger during his time as Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court?

Warren Earl Burger made several key decisions during his tenure as Chief Justice, including leading the Court in landmark cases such as Roe v. Wade, which established a woman's right to choose abortion, and United States v. Nixon, which required President Nixon to turn over the Watergate tapes.
2

What was Warren Earl Burger's stance on civil rights issues during his time as Chief Justice?

Warren Earl Burger was generally seen as a conservative when it came to civil rights issues. While he did not always align with the liberal wing of the Court, he did support some key civil rights decisions, such as Bakke v. Regents of the University of California, which upheld affirmative action.
3

How did Warren Earl Burger impact the criminal justice system during his time as Chief Justice?

Warren Earl Burger had a significant impact on the criminal justice system, advocating for stricter sentencing guidelines and supporting tough-on-crime policies. He also oversaw the Court's decisions on cases related to the death penalty and Miranda rights.
4

What was Warren Earl Burger's approach to interpreting the Constitution as Chief Justice?

Warren Earl Burger was known for his strict constructionist approach to interpreting the Constitution. He believed in adhering closely to the original intent of the framers and was cautious about expanding constitutional rights through judicial activism.
5

How did Warren Earl Burger's leadership style influence the Supreme Court during his tenure as Chief Justice?

Warren Earl Burger was known for his administrative skills and for fostering a collegial atmosphere on the Court. However, some critics argue that his leadership style led to a lack of clear direction and consensus in certain decisions.

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Childhood & Early Life

Warren Earl Burger was born on September 17, 1907 in Saint Paul, Minnesota, as the fourth of seven children, to Swiss-German immigrants Charles Joseph Burger and Katherine (Schnittger) Burger.

His father worked as a railroad cargo inspector and traveling salesman, in order to finance the needs of the working-class family. As a result, Burger started delivering newspapers when he was nine years old.

He completed his schooling from John A. Johnson High School in 1925. Being active in sports, like football, swimming, hockey and track, he was the president of the student council and wrote sports articles, published in local newspapers.

He started working as life insurance salesman, after high school, to finance his education while attending night classes for a two-year course at the University of Minnesota.

He received his degree from St. Paul College of Law (now William Mitchell College) in 1931 and began working at a St. Paul law firm, handling real estate and corporate cases. He taught contract law at his alma mater for over 12 years.

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Career

He entered Republican politics unexpectedly and played an active role in establishing Minnesota Young Republicans, in 1934, soon after which he got involved with Harold Stassen for his governor campaign in 1938, 1940 and 1942.

His vital role in the 1952 successful campaigns for presidential candidate Dwight D. Eisenhower landed him at the post of Assistant Attorney General in the Civil Division of the Justice Department.

Despite no experience in maritime law, he successfully supervised 180 lawyers, handling numerous cases for the government.

Seeing his efforts and hard work, he was promoted to the US Courts of Appeal for the District of Columbia, in 1956, a position he retained for 13 years.

Upon Chief Justice Earl Warren’s retirement in 1968, Burger was nominated as the new Chief Justice in 1969, by President Richard Nixon, thus becoming the 15th Chief Justice of the United States.

Just as expected, he proved to be a justice that Nixon had hoped giving decisions in numerous cases that went against Warren’s court rulings, some being Miranda vs. Arizona (1966) and Harris vs. New York (1971).

Along with the court, he led a common decision upon decreasing racial segregation in schools in the 1971 Swann vs. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education.

In the 1972 United States vs. US District Court, despite his disapproval of issuing search warrants in domestic surveillance cases, the Burger Court terminated all death penalty laws going against the Nixon Administration.

In the 1976 Gregg vs. Georgia case, he re-legalized the death penalty giving his vote in favor of the Court and putting the decision into action.

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Instead of applying legal principles comprehensively and systematically, he became famous for improving the entire judicial system and running the administrative functions efficiently.

Despite Nixon’s claim of improving Warren court’s decisions by Burger, none of the major decisions seemed reversed during his term, including the criminal law area where the Warren court rulings were limited instead of overturned.

He retired from his post on September 26, 1986 to work as the Chairman of the Commission on the Bicentennial of the United States Constitution on full-time basis.

He took the position of the Chancellor of the College of William & Mary in 1986, which he retained till 1993.

Major Works

His 1973 Roe vs. Wade became a controversial case for his support towards women’s constitutional right to get abortions and annul the law in states that penalized pregnancy.

In one of his most popular criminal cases, he exposed President Nixon in the infamous 1974 Watergate tape recordings, proving him guilty and forcing him to resign from his position before his term ended.

While shaping the country’s legal system, he started National Center for State Courts, Institute for Court Management, and National Institute of Corrections.

He began the annual ‘State of the Judiciary’ speech given by Chief Justice to the American Bar Association.

Awards & Achievements

He was honored with the James Madison Award for Distinguished Public Service by Princeton University’s American Whig-Cliosophic Society, in 1987.

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In 1988, he became a recipient of the Sylvanus Thayer Award from the United States Military Academy, followed by the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Personal Life & Legacy

He married his fellow student from the University of Minnesota, Elvera Stromberg, on November 8, 1933. The couple had two children – Wade Allen Burger and Margaret Elizabeth Burger.

Elvera Burger died on May 30, 1994 at her home in Washington, while Warren Burger passed away from a congestive heart failure in his sleep, on June 25, 1995, aged 87.

His body was displayed in the Great Hall of the US Supreme Court Building, after which he was buried at the Arlington National Cemetery.

William Mitchell College of Law has named Warren E. Burger Federal Courthouse and Warren E. Burger Library in the honor of this reputed jurist and politician.

Facts About Warren Earl Burger

Warren Burger was an avid stamp collector and had a passion for philately.

He had a strong interest in chess and enjoyed playing the game in his spare time.

Burger had a great sense of humor and was known for his witty remarks and jokes among friends and colleagues.

He was an accomplished pianist and often played classical music for relaxation.

Burger was a skilled woodworker and enjoyed creating furniture and other woodworking projects as a hobby.

Warren Earl Burger Biography

You wanted to know

What were some key decisions made by Warren Earl Burger during his time as Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court?

What was Warren Earl Burger's stance on civil rights issues during his time as Chief Justice?

How did Warren Earl Burger impact the criminal justice system during his time as Chief Justice?

What was Warren Earl Burger's approach to interpreting the Constitution as Chief Justice?

How did Warren Earl Burger's leadership style influence the Supreme Court during his tenure as Chief Justice?