Death of a Granite State Icon

Like the Old Man of the Mountain, David Souter was an iconic part of New Hampshire. He embodied the values, sensibilities and ethos of our little state. His death today, at age 85, is a moment of deep sadness for those of us who knew and respected him.

I came to know Justice Souter many years ago, when he would come back to the First Circuit Court of Appeals (his judicial home before being tapped for the Supreme Court) for both social and judicial reasons. But I came to know him at a much deeper level shortly after his (unexpected) retirement from the Supreme Court. David Souter had a passion for the state of New Hampshire - he was old school in his belief that civic values formed in childhood would carry an individual through the long arc of a civically focused life. His childhood in Weare, NH was - as he often recalled - a version of “Our Town” in real time. The annual town meeting was a highlight of his childhood, with civil debate and voting that lasted throughout the day, ending with a potluck supper. It is little wonder that he decided to dedicate his life to public service.

Shortly after his retirement David Souter announced that he had one goal for his retirement years: to foster civic knowledge in the children of New Hampshire. He was inspired by his colleague and close friend Sandra Day O’Connor who had launched a similar program in Arizona after her retirement from the Supreme Court. To accomplish that goal David invited about 15 of us to his chambers in Concord to discuss the project. He had us at ‘civics’; we were onboard! My dear friend and colleague James Wright (President of Dartmouth College) and I would carpool down to Concord once a month to meet with David and some of the best legal minds in the state. It was always a learning experience to sit with him and discuss issues of importance for the well-being of our democracy. His intense intellect, occasional wit, and probing questions were a joy to behold.

May he rest in peace.