What was the first chief justice selected by Washington?

Answer 1

President Washington nominated the first three Chief Justices of the United States:

1. John Jay...............................(1745-1829)..............served 1789-1795...Washington
2. John Rutledge.......................(1739-1800)..............served 1795-1795...Washington
3. Oliver Ellsworth.....................(1745-1807)..............served 1796-1800...Washington

Answer 2

President Washington made fourteen nominations that resulted in seating eleven justices.

Washington's Appointments, order of Confirmation

1. John Jay......................September 26, 1789........(Chief Justice)
2. John Rutledge..............September 26, 1789........(Associate Justice)
3. William Cushing............September 26, 1789........(Associate Justice)
4. Robert Harrison............September 26, 1789........(Associate Justice, Declined appointment)
5. James Wilson...............September 26, 1789........(Associate Justice)
6. John Blair.....................September 26, 1789........(Associate Justice)
7. James Iredell................February 10, 1790..........(Associate Justice, replaced Harrison)
8. Thomas Johnson...........November 7, 1791..........(Replaced Rutledge)
9. William Paterson...........February 28, 1793...........(Withdrawn, no explanation given)
10. William Paterson...........March 4, 1793................(Re-nominated, confirmed again, replaced Johnson)
11. John Rutledge..............July 1, 1795...................(Recess, Replaced Jay, Rejected by Senate on 12/15/95)
12. Samuel Chase..............January 27, 1796............(Replaced Blair)
13. William Cushing...........January 27, 1796............(Confirmed as Chief Justice to replace Jay, Declined position)
14. Oliver Ellsworth............March 4, 1796.................(Chief Justice, Replaced Jay)

One nominee, John Rutledge, was an Associate Justice on the first Supreme Court, but never fulfilled any of the responsibilities of the role. Later, when Rutledge learned John Jay was resigning as Chief Justice, he petitioned Washington for the Chief Justice position. President Washington obliged by granting Rutledge a recess appointment on July 1, 1795. Rutledge presided over a single session of the Court, in August 1795.

Recess appointments are subject to a deferred Senate confirmation vote. When the Senate finally addressed Rutledge's Chief Justice appointment, on December 15, 1795, they rejected him, believing he was mentally unstable. This belief was formed, in part, because John Rutledge lead a large party of Charleston, SC, residents who burned John Jay in effigy due to his part in negotiating the unpopular "Jay Treaty," designed to avoid a second war between the United States and Great Britain. Rutledge held the shortest tenure of any Chief Justice in Supreme Court history.

For more information about George Washington's nominees, see Related Questions, below.

Answer 3

President Washington appoint John Jay to serve as first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court in September 1789. Jay presided over the Court until 1795, when he was elected Governor of New York.

Answer 4

George Washington appointed three Chief Justices to the US Supreme Court during his term of office:

1. John Jay................1789 - 1795
2. John Rutledge........1795 - 1795 (recess appointment; rejected by the Senate)
3. Oliver Ellsworth......1796 - 1800

Answer 5

Three Chief Justices served during George Washington's Presidency: John Jay, John Rutledge, and Oliver Ellsworth.

Answer 6

John Jay

Answer 7

John Jay was the first chief justice

Answer 8

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