Newspaper article, Tempe Daily News, The Kauffman-Henry Collection

New robes: O’Connor sworn in

Newspaper article, Tempe Daily News, The Kauffman-Henry Collection / By

WASIIlNGTON – In a six-minute ceremony, Arizona Judge Sandra Day O’Connor broke through two centuries of male exclusivity and donned her robe Friday as an associate justice of the Supreme Court. With President Reagan, her family and 500 guests looking on, O’Connor stood beside Chief Justice Warren E. Burger and promised to “support and defend the Constitution” and faithfully carry out her duties. “On behalf of all the members of the court and retired Justice Potter Stewart, it is a pleasure to extend to you a very wann welcome to the court and to wish you a very long life and a long and happy career in our common calling,” Burger said in welcoming the court’s newest member and its first woman. O’Connor, who will be addressed by her brethren as “Justice O’Connor” – no courtesy title – was preceded by 101 men, dating to the court’s founding in 1790. Sitting across from Justice O’Connor in the front of the courtroom were President and Nancy Reagan, her husband, Phoenix lawyer John J. O’Connor III, and sons Scott, 23, Brian, 21, and Jay, 20. There, too, were her parents, Harry and Ada Mae Day. She earlier had told news reporters that she felt “just great” about taking “‘ler place in history. ceremony began as O’Connor, 51, entered the courtroom shortly after 2 p.m. and sat m front of her eight colleagues-to-be in the 19th~entury chair once occupied by Chief Justice John Marshall, whose decisions secured the position of the Supreme Court in American government. Attorney General William

Arizona Republic, Newspaper article, The Kauffman-Henry Collection

New Right fund-raising wizard vows all-out fight against Judge O’Connor

Arizona Republic, Newspaper article, The Kauffman-Henry Collection / By

WASHINGTON – A major conservative fundraiser – declaring the New Right is not “a paper tiger” – vowed Wednesday to enter the fray to keep Sandra O’Connor from winning Senate confirmation as a Supreme Court jUBtice …

said committee Chairman Strom Thurmond, RS.C., told him the nomination is expected to clear the com.mittee and be reported out to the full Senate by Sept. 15. Fundamentalist preacher Carl McIntire, singling ont Judge O’Connor’s views on the rights of religious broadcasters and church ownership of property, said, “We believe (that} in the area of First Amendment rights, she’s very dangerous.” Viguerie served notice, while speaking to the Washington Press Club, of an all-out battle to convince senators to vote against her. “These senators have to be shown a tremendoUB outpouring at the grass-roots level” before they will oppose Judge O’Connor, said Viguerie, who has raised millions of dollars for conservative candidates and causes across the nation. Viguerie said the New Right – an informal coalition united by ultraconservative views on both social and economic issues – has to wage a battle against Judge O’Connor’s record on the abortion issue or else the White House “will just think we are a paper tiger.” But the White House repeated the administration•~ belief that she will be confirmed – perhaps unanunously. Meanwhile, Carolyn Gerster, former Right to Life president and longtime acquaintance of Judge O’Connor, was asked if she believes President Reagan was duped

Newspaper article, San Francisco Chronicle, The Kauffman-Henry Collection

New Right’ Fund-Raiser Declares War on O’Connor

Newspaper article, San Francisco Chronicle, The Kauffman-Henry Collection / By

Wai;hington A major conservative fund-raiser ,owed :resterday to enter the fray to keep Sandra O’Connor from winning Senate confirmation as a Supreme Court justice. The declaration by direct-mail “izard Richard Viguerie came as fundamentalist opponents to O’Connor opened a new First Amendment front and other foes of the Arizona judge continued to attack her record on abortion. Fundamentalist preacher Carl :’ltclntire, singling out O”Connor’s iews on the rights of religious broadcasters and church ownership of property. said, “We believe. in the area of First Amendment rights, she s very dangerous.” And Viguerie sened notice, while speaking to the Washington Press Club, of an all-out battle to convince members of the Senate to vote against the selection. “These senators have to be shown a trem<'ndous outpouring at the gras5 roots level" before they will oppose O'Connor, said Viguerie. who has raised millions of dollars for conservatie candidates and cam,es across the nation. He refused to say specifically \ hat kind of campaign is being organized, saying only: "\,'e're going to have some big events in a 'ery public way dealing with some of these religious leaders." Viguerie said the New Right - an informal coalition united by ultraconservative views on both ~ocial and economic issues - has to wage a battle against O'Connor's record on the abortion issue, or else the White House ''\ill just think we are a paper tiger." l1clntire, who described R~Jgan's choice as "a dark

Newspaper article, The Kauffman-Henry Collection, The Washington Post

New Justice is low-keyed, relatively uncontroversial

Newspaper article, The Kauffman-Henry Collection, The Washington Post / By

She’s been called “extraordinary,” “outstanding,” “truly outstanding” and “the best thing since Girl Scout cookies.” Speechmakers in the Senate called her appointment “historic,” “truly historic,” “a landmark,” “monumental.” It is just possible that sometimes Sandra D. O’Connor may not recognize the woman she reads about and sees on television so often these days. That is because her history and her testimony during her confirmation hearings suggest that she has arrived where she is by being relatively uncontroversial, by being low-keyed, by appreciating the fine detail rather than the cosmic sweep, by keeping out of trouble, rather than by making trouble. Her achievements have been solid. But no one who knows them calls them brilliant or inspired. In that respect, she is no different than many other appointees to the U.S. Supreme Court. And if she follows the example of many of them, it may be that she will not be heard from in any dramatic way for some time. She may burrow into the marble palace for months or years before making a mark. Then again, she could begin in a burst of glory. But that would not be her way. The court, the late Chief Justice Harlan Fiske Stone once said, is “nine quiet old boys.” Make that eight quiet men and one probably very quiet woman. She appeared uncomfortable at the beginning. When she first came to town, she seemed visibly stunned, even a bit shaken, by all the attention she was getting. “I’ve never seen so many reporters, cameras, all in one

Newspaper article, The Kauffman-Henry Collection, Yuma Daily Sun

New Job for O’Connor

Newspaper article, The Kauffman-Henry Collection, Yuma Daily Sun / By

WASHINGTON (AP) – Like his wife, John J. O’Connor III has a new job in Washington . O’Connor , now a partner in a Phoenix law firm is moving to Washington to join the firm of Miller’ & Chevalier. His new firm says O’Connor won’t have much call to represent client s before the Supreme Court – a good thing for O’Connor and wife Sandra Day O’Connor . Mrs. O’Connor is the newest justice on the Supreme Court, and_ would have to disqualify herself from any case m which her husband was involved. O’Connor ha s been commuting from Phoenix since his wife was confirmed Sept. 21. He start s his new job Jan. 1.

Kingman Daily Miner, Newspaper article, The Kauffman-Henry Collection

National anti-abortion vigil planned

Kingman Daily Miner, Newspaper article, The Kauffman-Henry Collection / By

DALLAS (AP) – A coalition of conservative Christian groups plans a series of rallies to protest what they call the proabortion stance of U.S. Supreme Court nominee Sandra Day O’Connor. Organizers predicted today’s “Rally for Life,” the first in the series of anti-abortion gatherings, would draw about 10,000 people to the Dallas Convention Center. Coinciding with the Dallas rally will be a nationwide vigil and silent prayer for “victims of abortion” in state capitals and major cities at 3 p.m. EDT. Religious Roundtable President Ed McAteer said state representatives of his group will hold the vigils from steps of federal courthouses in each state capital. “If this thing goes as we think it will, she (Mrs. O’Connor) wm be appointed to the Supreme Court,” admitted McAteer, organizer of the Dallas Convention Center rally. “But we will continue to inform people more and more about abortion and her record.” He said the “catalyst” for the rallies was President Reagan’s support of Mrs. O’Connor, the first woman nominated to the nation’s highest court. “We have already won the debate about the O’Connor nomination,” McAteer said. “No one is malting comments whether she in fact is pro-abortloh, but rather If she has really changed her position since the time that she voted in the Legislature.” His organization claims that Mrs. O’Connor supported abortion bills “on at least two occasions” while a member of the Arizona Legislature. Since her nomination, Mrs. O’Connor has stated that she was

Newspaper mention, The Kauffman-Henry Collection, The New York Times

National

Newspaper mention, The Kauffman-Henry Collection, The New York Times / By

Sandra O’Connor’s record shows a mix of political sfaiids during the Biz years she spent as a member of the Arizona state senate, three of them as Republican majority leader. The records of the Arizona legislature disclose several occasions in which Mrs. O’Connor, President Reagan’s nominee to the Supreme Court, voted in favor of making aborticm more _!ftdely available. The Reagan Adminlstraticn moved swiftly to minimize the eJltellt of her support for abortion.

Newspaper mention, The Kauffman-Henry Collection, The New York Times

Mrs. O’Connor Makes the Scene

Newspaper mention, The Kauffman-Henry Collection, The New York Times / By

The grumbles largely turned to pledges of support last week as Sandra Day O’Connor made her way, judiciously, around Capitol Hill. She apparently assuaged supporters of restrictions on abortions by declaring that she personally opposed the medical procedure.

At the same time, moderate-to-liberals were pleased to hear her declare that, for Justices of the High Court, legal prececents should outweigh personal beliefs. ”I think she’ll be confirmed” as the first woman on the United States Supreme Court, said Senator Strom Thurmond of South Carolina, Judiciary Committee chairman. ”I expect to support her.”

The Moral Majority might or might not remain in the minority on the nomination. At one point, a spokesman said that the group’s initial opposition to Mrs. O’Connor was a mistake, adding: ”We should have shut up and not said anything.” After apparently concluding that he shouldn’t have said anything again, he later denied that the group was dropping its objections. At weeks’s end, the Rev. Jerry Falwell said he hadn’t made up his mind yet, apparently because conservative Senator Jesse Helms, an ally of the lobbying group, hasn’t made his mind up either.