William Hubbs Rehnquist was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on October 1, 1924, to William Benjamin and Margery Peck Rehnquist. The son of a paper salesman, Rehnquist grew up in a conservative household in which popular Republican figures of the day such as Wendell Wilkie and Alf Landon were revered. He attended public schools in Shorewood, a Milwaukee suburb, and spent one year at Kenyon College before joining the U.S. Army Air Force after the outbreak of World War II. From 1943 to 1946, Rehnquist worked as a weather observer in North Africa. Like many people of his generation, Rehnquist finished college with the assistance of the GI Bill, earning both a bachelor and master of arts degrees in political science from Stanford University. Rehnquist continued his education at Harvard University where he received a master's in government. He returned to Stanford Law School in 1950, graduating at the top of his class and ahead of his future colleague, Sandra Day O'Conner, who graduated third. After serving as a clerk to Supreme Court Justice Robert Jackson, Rehnquist and his wife Natalie Cornell moved to Phoenix, Arizona. Rehnquist engaged in private practice from 1953 to 1969, remaining active in Republican party politics. In 1969, President Nixon appointed Rehnquist as assistant attorney general in the Office of Legal Counsel. Two years later, in October 1971, Nixon nominated Rehnquist to be associate justice of the Supreme Court. He was sworn in on January 7, 1971. Nominated by President Reagan, Rehnquist became chief justice on September 26, 1986. Known for his often witty and self-deprecating remarks both in court decisions and public statements, Rehnquist campaigned vigorously to reform criminal procedures and to reduce the number of federal death row appeals. He was an early convert to judicial restraint, and decisions throughout his career reflect his belief that federal courts should leave state affairs to local officials. Rehnquist was the second longest-serving chief justice since Melville Fuller, who died in 1910. Diagnosed with thyroid cancer, Rehnquist continued to work and perform his duties as chief justice until nearly the end.

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[Source: Archives of Wisconsin Historical Society Highlights]