Supreme Court Nominee Neil Gorsuch Has Wyoming Roots
Did you know our next potential Supreme Court Justice has proud Wyoming roots?
If he is approved in this week's Senate confirmation hearings, Neil Gorsuch will replace former Anthony Scalia on the United States Supreme Court.
Gorsuch is the son of Anne Gorsuch Buford, a Casper native who later became the first female administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency.
Born and raised in Denver, Gorsuch followed in his mother's footsteps, earning a law degree before beginning his legal career as a federal court clerk. If confirmed, he will become the 113th person to serve on United States Supreme Court.
Only one Supreme Court Justice has ever hailed from Wyoming. Willis Van Devanter, a longtime Cheyenne native and former Chief Justice of the Wyoming Supreme Court, served on the high court from 1910 to 1937.
Upon his retirement, Van Devanter became the first Justice to ever achieve "senior status", which enabled him to maintain an office and to consult the court until his death four years later, in 1941.