O’Connor is confirmed as justice

WASHINGTON – The Senate, ending an all-male tradition nearly two centuries old, unanimously confirmed Sandra Day O’Connor as an associate justice of the Supreme Court Monday. Mrs. O’Connor, a 51-year-old Arizona state appeals judge and former El Paso resident. will be sworn in Friday in time to join the court for the opening of its 1981-82 term Oct. 5.

The vote was 99-0, with only Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., who was attending an economic conference in his home state, missing from the tally. Baucus had supported Mrs. O’Connor in earlier committee action.

After the vote, Mrs. O’Connor appeared on the steps of the Capitol with Senate leaders and Vice President George Bush.

Grinning jubilantly, she said she was overjoyed by the depth of Senate support for her nomination. “My hope is that after I’ve been across the street and worked for awhile that they’ll all feel glad for the wonderful vote they gave me today.” she said.

Once installed on the the court, she said, “I’m going to get very busy, very fast.”

Mrs. O’Connor will become the 102nd person to don the black robes of a Supreme Court member since the court was created as one of three equal branches of the federal government 191 years ago.

A graduate of Stanford University Law School, she worked as a state prosecutor in Arizona before serving terms in both houses of the state Legislature.

She was a former majority leader of the Arizona Senate, served as a state trial court judge and later was named by Gov. Bruce Babbitt to