| Clement Haynsworth | |
|---|---|
| Judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit | |
| In office April 4, 1957 – April 6, 1981 |
|
| Nominated by | Dwight D. Eisenhower |
| Preceded by | Armistead Mason Dobie |
| Succeeded by | Robert Foster Chapman |
| Personal details | |
| Born | October 30, 1912 Greenville, South Carolina |
| Died | November 22, 1989 (aged 77) Greenville, South Carolina |
Clement Furman Haynsworth, Jr. (October 30, 1912 – November 22, 1989) was a United States judge and an unsuccessful nominee for the United States Supreme Court.[1]
Haynsworth was born in Greenville, South Carolina. He received an A.B. from Furman University in 1933 and an LL.B. from Harvard Law School in 1936. He was in private practice of law in Greenville from 1936 to 1957, aside from his years of service in the United States Navy from 1942 to 1945 during World War II.
Haynsworth was a federal judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, being nominated by President Dwight D. Eisenhower on February 19, 1957, to a seat vacated by Armistead Mason Dobie. Haynsworth was confirmed by the United States Senate on April 4, 1957, and received his commission the same day. He became chief judge in 1964.
Haynsworth was nominated to be an Associate Justice on the U.S. Supreme Court on August 21, 1969 by President Richard Nixon to replace liberal justice Abe Fortas, who had resigned due to conflict of interest charges.[1] Haynsworth was opposed by Democrats (possibly in retaliation for the Republicans' rejection of Fortas as Chief Justice),[1] liberal Republicans, and the NAACP. He was alleged to have made court decisions favoring segregation and of being reflexively anti-labor. Senator Philip Hart said that Haynsworth's decisions on civil rights and labor management were "unacceptable," while Senator Marlow Cook argued that Haynsworth was being “subjected to a character assassination that is unjustified." Cook argued that Haynsworth was "a man of honesty and a man of integrity.”[2]
Haynsworth was also accused of ruling in cases where he had a financial interest, although this was never proven. Haynsworth was later termed a "moderate" who was "close in outlook to John Paul Stevens."[1]
Haynsworth's nomination was defeated by a vote of 55 to 45 on November 21, 1969. 19 Democrats and 26 Republicans voted for Haynsworth while 38 Democrats and 17 Republicans voted against the nomination. Haynsworth was the first Supreme Court nominee to be defeated by the Senate since the rejection of Judge John J. Parker (also of the Fourth Circuit) in 1930.
After his defeat, Haynsworth remained on the Fourth Circuit in Greenville, South Carolina. He assumed senior status on April 6, 1981, which he retained until his death in Greenville on November 22, 1989. The C.F. Haynsworth Federal Building and United States Courthouse in Greenville was renamed in his honor.