Biographical Research - Thurgood Marshall

Lifespan: ​July 2, 1908 - January 24, 1993

Early Family Background and Created Family Structure:
- Marshall was a descendent of slaves on both sides of his family. His mother worked as a
teacher, and his father worked as a railroad porter.
- He had a brother, William Aubrey Marshall, whom he followed to pursue his education at
Lincoln University. His classmates included Langston Hughes, the future president of
Ghana, and the famous jazz singer Cab Calloway
- His father instilled in Marshall an appreciation for the law and the Constitution from a
very young age.
- He became a star on the debate team, and explored his interests in politics
- “Marshall married Vivian "Buster" Burey in 1929, and the couple remained married until
her death in 1955. Shortly thereafter, Marshall married Cecilia Suyat, his secretary at the
NAACP. The couple had two sons together, Thurgood Jr. and John Marshall.”
(​Biography.com​)
- Both of his sons went on to participate in politics on a national level.
Major Career/Professional Events and Accomplishments:

- Began career as lawyer while having a private practice in Baltimore

- In 1936 became a national staff member of NAACP in the Murray v. Pearson case
- Represented Murray (african american, amherst graduate - denied from
Univ of Maryland law school because of race and segregation of color)
- Went on to work in a Supreme Court case
- Chambers v. Florida - won
- Brown v. Board of Education. - most famous case
- First African American to be on the Supreme Court
- JFK chose him to stand by the US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
- Prez Lyndon Johnson appointed him the US Solicitor General (first African American to
hold office)
Personal Life Themes/Belief:
 - As an african american during the 1920s, he not only graduated early but was the first
african american to hold an official position, including supreme court
- He did the best with what he was given
- He didn't fought for what was right rather that society's belief/ moral code
- Was one of the best lawyers winning most of his cases

Selected Quotations:
- “In recognizing the humanity of our fellow beings, we pay ourselves the highest
tribute.”
- “Our whole constitutional heritage rebels at the thought of giving government the
power to control men's minds.”
- “Sometimes history takes things into its own hands.”
Awards and Recognition:

- 1944 - Successfully argues Smith v. Allwright, overthrowing the South's "white primary"
- 1948 - Wins Shelley v. Kraemer, in which Supreme Court strikes down legality of
racially restrictive covenants
- 1950 - Wins Supreme Court victories in two graduate-school integration cases, Sweatt v.
Painter and McLaurin v. Oklahoma State Regents
- 1965 - Appointed U.S. solicitor general by President Lyndon Johnson; wins 14 of the 19
cases he argues for the government (1965-1967)
- 1967 - Becomes first African American elevated to U.S. Supreme Court (1967-1991)
- 1991 – Marshall retires as Associate Justice of U.S. Supreme Court.
Death and Aftermath:
- Marshall died at the National Naval Medical Center in Maryland in 1993 as a result of
heart failure
- He was lay in repose in the Supreme Court building
- He was later buried in the Arlington National Cemetery
- He left all of his personal notes to the National Library of Congress
- Following Marshall’s death, there were numerous memorials dedicated to him
Lasting Impact and Contributions:

- First african american who played a key part role as a lawyer and on the supreme court
- He helped to work for segregation in schools and changed civil rights