God Bless! May he rest in peace!

Rehnquist's Career

Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, Republican of Tennessee, said Rehnquist "leaves behind a legacy as one of the most influential chief justices in our nation's history."

He was named by President Richard Nixon to the court and served for nearly 15 years before being elevated by President Ronald Reagan in 1986 to be the 16th chief justice.

Despite his cancer diagnosis and treatment, he declined to retire, determined to perform his duties as chief justice as long as possible.

Rehnquist voted with the conservative majority to expand states' rights in several areas and allow more public funding of religious activities.

He dissented on some landmark decisions on social issues, including the 1973 ruling that women have a constitutional right to an abortion and from the 2003 rulings upholding gay rights and the use of race in student admissions at public universities.

As the nation's top judicial officer, Rehnquist presided over President Bill Clinton's historic impeachment trial before the Senate in early 1999.

Rehnquist joined the court's conservative majority as a bitterly divided Supreme Court ruled by a 5-4 vote in 2000 to stop ballot recounts in Florida, effectively giving the presidency to Republican George W. Bush over Democrat Al Gore.