Did You Know...

Rufus W. Peckham

Rufus Wheeler Peckham, a successful and prominent lawyer, began his public career as district attorney for Albany County, New York in 1869. In this role, he gained recognition for his skillful prosecution and conviction of criminals involved in railroad car robberies. He was elected to the New York Supreme Court in 1883 and to the New York Court of Appeals—the highest court in the state of New York—in 1886. Nearly 10 years later, President Grover Cleveland nominated Peckham to replace Justice Howell Jackson on the Supreme Court of the United States on December 3, 1895. Justice Peckham took his seat on January 6, 1896. While on the Court, he wrote the majority opinion in the landmark case Lochner  v. New York (1905), which held unconstitutional a New York state statute that imposed a maximum-hour law, prohibiting bakers from working more than 60 hours per week or 10 hours per day. Justice Peckham served on the Court for 13 years before his death at the age of 70 in 1909.

What's New

Activities for Students & Families

Now available as downloadable PDFs, a series of activities that introduce students, teachers, and families to some of the history and symbolism featured at the Supreme Court.

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