A Rehnquist Ode on the Vinson Court (Circa Summer 1953)

Abstract:     
This article publishes for the first time a 55-year-old composition - a spoof of Gilbert and Sullivan lyrics - by the late William H. Rehnquist.

Rehnquist's ode, which dates back to his Supreme Court clerkship with Justice Robert H. Jackson during 1952 and 1953, demonstrates the young author's sense of humor. It also reflects his inside knowledge of the low regard that some of the 1950s Supreme Court justices had for some of their judicial brethren. Among other topics, the Rehnquist composition touches on the plethora of separate opinions that these Justices habitually produced, and on Chief Justice Fred M. Vinson's preoccupation with baseball.

Keywords: William H. Rehnquist, Justice Robert H. Jackson, law clerks, Gilbert & Sullivan, Chief Justice Fred M. Vinson, the Vinson Court, Brown v. Allen, baseball

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