William Strong (judge)

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Image:William strong (judge).jpg William Strong (May 6, 1808 - August 19, 1895) was an American jurist and politician. He was a justice on the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania and an Associate Justice on the Supreme Court of the United States.

Strong was born in Connecticut and later moved to Pennsylvania. He attended the Munson Academy in Massachusetts, and later graduated from Yale University before starting his legal practice in Reading, Pennsylvania. Strong was elected to the United States House of Representatives for two terms as an abolitionist Democrat, and served as the chairman of the U.S. House Committee on Elections during his second term. He did not seek reelection, but returned to private practice until being elected to the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania in 1857 as a Democrat. Strong switched to the Republican Party soon after taking the bench.

Strong resigned from the court in 1868 to return to a lucrative private practice in Philadelphia. When the retirement of Justice Grier left a vacancy on the U.S. Supreme Court, Strong was pushed aside by supporters of Edwin Stanton, the former Secretary of War. Stanton was confirmed after President Grant's nomination but died just four days later without having served on the Court. Strong was then nominated by Grant, confirmed, and sworn in on March 14, 1870.

Strong was one of five Justices who sat on the Electoral Commission that was convened to resolve the disputed electoral votes in the U.S. presidential election of 1876. Strong voted along with his fellow Republicans, who held the majority on the Commission, to award every disputed vote to Rutherford B. Hayes, the Republican candidate, thus ensuring his presidency.

Strong served on the Supreme Court until December 14, 1880, when he retired despite still being in good health, partly to set an example to several infirm justices who refused to give up their seats. Strong resumed the practice of law and pursued religious causes until his death, at Lake Minnewassa in Ulster County, New York, on August 19, 1895. He was interred in Charles Evans Cemetery in Reading, Pennsylvania.

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