William Rehnquist Good afternoon. It’s my pleasure to welcome you to the groundbreaking ceremony for the modernization of the Supreme Court building 72 years ago in the spring of 1931, the work of digging the foundation for our beautiful building began. Four years later, on April 4 1935, the building was completed. The total cost, including furnishings was less than $10 million. And it came in under budget, with almost $100,000 returned to the Treasury. The runner vision project for which we break ground today is scheduled to take five years, and it cost 120 $2 million. when it’s completed, I hope that we will again be returning funds to the Treasury, but I’m not betting on it. William Howard Taft, who served as Chief Justice from 1921 to 1930, was the moving force behind constructing a separate building for the court. Although he did not live long enough to see it completed. Until this building open, the court did not have a home of its own. From 1800 and one until 1935. It occupied cramped quarters across the street in the capital, very much at the sufferance of Congress. And most justices worked out of their homes. having its own building was a great symbolic importance to the court. The building has been Captain excellent repair, and looks as beautiful today as when I first saw it, February of 1952. But after nearly 70 years, it’s overdue for renovation. I would like to thank the members of the courts building committee, particularly Justice O’Connor, who chairs the committee,

Sandra Day O’Connor Thank you. Thank you. Thank you so much. Sandra Day O’Connor Thank you judge Nelson, for that very splendid introduction. You can just see why it’s been so terrific for the western Justice Center to have just judge Nelson involved. Because talk about a bundle of energy. And you can’t tell her No. I mean, there’s no such thing. So she has a tremendous asset. And President Donald Baker who has provided such Distinguished Public Service in Los Angeles County, along with his legal work, and I know what an asset he’s been to this institution, and Bill Drake, who was captured from a dispute resolution facility in Washington DC to come out here. And I think that was a great asset. And my boss back here, Chief Judge Proctor hug. I’m the Ninth Circuit justice. So I have to do what he says we’re in the ninth circuit here. And so. So he’s been a great Chief Judge, and how fortunate it is that he also is involved in this marvelous project that was initiated really by the first efforts of the Ninth Circuit judges, we’re going to occupy this wonderful building. You know, the original Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals Court building is that fantastic facility in San Francisco that was damaged so badly in the last earthquake, but is now restored at a very high price, taxpayer dollars, but it’s it’s love light. And the Court of Appeals judges from Southern California used to have chambers and work in downtown Los Angeles. But the old this stuff, but they call it this stuff,

Student Sandra Day O’Connor Associate Justice was born in El Paso, Texas, March 26 1930. She married John D. O’Connor III in 1952 and has three sons, Scott, Bryan, and Jay. She received her BA and LLB from Stanford University. She served as deputy county attorney of San Mateo County, California for 1952-53 and as a civilian attorney for Quartermaster market center in Frankfurt, Germany, from 1954 through 57. From 1958 through 60. She practiced law in Maryvale, Arizona and served as Assistant Attorney General of Arizona from 1965 to 69. She was appointed to the Arizona State Senate in 1969 and was subsequently reelected to two two-year terms. In 1975, she was elected judge of the Maricopa County Superior Court and served until 1979 when she was appointed to the Arizona Court of Appeals. President Reagan nominated her as an Associate Justice at the Supreme Court, and she took her seat on September 25, 1981. It’s my pleasure to introduce to you, Justice Sandra Day O’Connor. Sandra Day O’Connor All right. Thank you so much. Thank you. This is a really special day for me. Can you imagine driving up to a beautiful new facility like this and seeing your name engraved across the front? It’s quite a thrill. And I can think of no more welcome honor than that which you have bestowed on me to have this beautiful new high school bear my name. I grew up on a cattle ranch in southeastern Arizona. When I was born, my mother wanted to go to a hospital and her parents were living in El Paso.

Sandra Day O’Connor Well, thank you for a wonderful introduction. No one had to twist my arm to get me to come to a team court summer. And I’ll tell you why. I have a few grandchildren and my oldest grandchild, a girl happened to have a class and get involved in team court, thanks to Charlene role. And I used to hear all about team court from my granddaughter. And she learned so much in the program and thought so highly of it, that I became a booster long before I was invited to come here today. What surprises me, frankly, is that there aren’t multiple team courts in every state of the United States, it is a great program. And my hope is that somehow, word can spread across the United States and produce more team courts, it really helps you as you know, since you’re involved, understand how a legal system works. And it helps you learn to deal with very real problems that kids have. It’s it’s just a great program. So I’m delighted to be here. And I think this is what’s needed throughout the United States. Now, how many of you know what you want to do when you’re grown? Raise your hand, if you do? Well, that’s pretty good. That That’s impressive. Maybe that’s because of team court. Because I can tell you, I grew up in Arizona, on a remote ranch over in the eastern part of the state, I didn’t have much of an idea of what our wanted to do. Well, I knew was cattle ranching. So I wanted to be a cattle rancher, and that it didn’t work out too well. And I wasn’t involved at that time

Sandra Day O’Connor Thank you, Governor Page. Thank you. Thank you. Sandra Day O’Connor This is a great occasion. The volunteers, some 2000 of them, have been working for more than two years to make this weekend the incredible event that it is. And they’ve done a great job. We celebrate Jamestown’s 400th anniversary because that very difficult settlement gave us our start in representative democracy. It caused us to be an English-speaking nation. It brought to the shores our first venture capitalists, they came to try to make money. And I guess you could call it the start of a global economy. And most important to me, those settlers brought with them the rule of law, they brought the common law of Great Britain. That’s what the charter told them to bring with them. And they did. And that has lasted. And we are so grateful. And it is such an honor for this celebration, to have a visit today from the President of the United States and Mrs. Bush. This is truly special. When the planners started their plans, they said in our wildest dreams, we hope we will have the Queen of England return. And we hope the President and Mrs. Bush will come. And lo and behold, they’re here. And it is my enormous honor to present to you, the President of the United States.

Sandra Day O’Connor: Well now, sit down. You’ve already heard everything I was going to tell you, so I could probably sit down, too! I’m not sure, is this thing working? Can you hear me? Okay, I’m so glad all of you are here because you are precisely the people I’ve been concerned about in this country, and I’m going to talk to you a little bit about that today. You’ve already heard part of it. I’m now an unemployed cowgirl is what I am. He could have made a much shorter introduction. I grew up on a cattle ranch in, on the New Mexico-Arizona border and we were 35 miles from the nearest town. We only went to town once a week so we could get the mail and get some groceries pay the bills and then go back to the ranch and it was really marvelous out there. I love. Living on that ranch and I sort of grew up on the back of a horse, but I don’t ride much anymore. I’ve reached the stage where I get kind of stiff and not feeling too good with that when President Reagan and we’re celebrating what the 30th anniversary of the Reagan Administration this year imagine that and when he was running for the presidency. Three years ago. He wasn’t sure that he was making Headway with Women Voters. He thought well that was somewhat questionable and so he started saying occasionally now if I get hurt if I’m president when I’m elected, he didn’t say if when I’m elected president if I get a chance to fill a vacancy on the US Supreme Court, I’d like to put a qualified woman on. His attorney general