The Supremes Trivia Game - U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justices | U.S. Law

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Oliver Ellsworth

Answer: George Washington

Ellsworth was nominated in 1796 after having served as a senator from Connecticut. He helped draft the Judiciary Act of 1789. He resigned from the Court in 1800 after serving 4 years as Chief.

2. John Marshall

Answer: John Adams

John Marshall was nominated by John Adams in 1801. Marshall died in 1835 while still serving as Chief Justice. Marshal was from Virginia. Prior to being nominated to the Court he had served as Adams' Secretary of State. Marshall is best known for his opinion in Marbury v. Madison. He served for 34 years, making him the longest-serving Chief Justice to date.

3. John Jay

Answer: George Washington

John Jay was the first Chief Justice, nominated by Washington in 1789. He resigned from the Court in 1794 to negotiate the Jay Treaty with Great Britain. He subsequently served as governor of New York.

4. Roger Brooke Taney

Answer: Andrew Jackson

Jackson nominated Taney when Chief Justice John Marshall died in office in 1835. Taney is mostly remembered for authoring the Dred Scott opinion, despite being a slave holder himself. Taney, like Marshall died in office. Taney is the second longest serving Chief Justice to date, 28 years.

5. Salmon Portland Chase

Answer: Abraham Lincoln

Chase was born in New Hampshire, but lived most of his life in Ohio. He was both a senator from and governor of Ohio. He served as Lincoln's wartime Secretary of The Treasury. Chase served as Chief Justice for 8 years.

6. Morrison R. Waite

Answer: Ulysses S. Grant

Waite was appointed by President Grant to a commission to settle claims against Britain due to their support of the confederacy. The result was compensation to the U.S. of over $15 million dollars. Waite served as Chief Justice from 1874 until his death in 1888. He was from Connecticut.

7. Melville Weston Fuller

Answer: Grover Cleveland

Despite being a firm Democrat, Fuller favored states' rights. Fuller was born in Maine but began his legal/political career in Chicago. He also died in office in 1910. Fuller was Chief Justice for 21 years, the third longest to date.

8. Edward Douglas White

Answer: William Howard Taft

White was from Louisiana and was Chief Justice of the State Supreme Court. He was nominated by President Cleveland to the U.S, Supreme Court where he served as an associate justice for 16 years before being nominated by President Taft to serve as chief justice. He served on the Court a total of 26 years, but only 10 as Chief.

9. William Howard Taft

Answer: Warren G. Harding

Taft was from Ohio. His resume is quite stunning, having served in the following capacities: Solicitor General of the U.S., civilian governor of the Philippines, Secretary of War, President of the U.S., Joint Chairman of the War Labor Board. President Harding nominated him to be Chief Justice of the Supreme Court where he served until he retired in 1930.

10. Charles Evans Hughes

Answer: Herbert Hoover

Hughes was from New York and was a governor of that state. He was first nominated to the Court by President Taft. He resigned from the Court to run for president in 1916. He later served as Secretary of State in the Harding/Coolidge Administration. President Hoover nominated him for Chief Justice in 1930. He served in that post for 11 years.

11. Harlan Fiske Stone

Answer: Franklin Delano Roosevelt

Stone was from New Hampshire. He taught high school chemistry for one year before being appointed Attorney General by President Coolidge, who thereafter nominated him for a seat on the Supreme Court where he served for 16 years. President Roosevelt nominated him as Chief Justice in 1941. He served a total of 21 years on the Court.

12. Frederick Moore Vinson

Answer: Harry S. Truman

Vinson was from Kentucky. He held various positions in President Roosevelt's "alphabet soup" agencies during WW II. He served as Truman's Secretary of the Treasury before President Truman nominated him to be Chief Justice. He held that post for 7 years.

13. Earl Warren

Answer: Dwight David Eisenhower

Warren was a Californian and served three terms as governor of that state. He was nominated by President Eisenhower to be Chief Justice in 1953. He chaired the commission of inquiry into the assassination of President Kennedy. Warren retired after having served 15 years on the Court.

14. Warren E. Burger

Answer: Richard M. Nixon

Burger was from Minnesota. He served in several positions in the Eisenhower administration before being nominated to be Chief Justice by President Nixon in 1969. Burger retired from the Court after 17 years of service.

15. William Hubbs Rehnquist

Answer: Ronald Reagan

Rehnquist was from Wisconsin. He graduated first in his class at Stanford Law School, third was Sandra Day (later O'Connor). Rehnquist was nominated to the Court in 1971 by then President Nixon. He was nominated to be Chief Justice by President Reagan in 1986. He served 34 years on the Court, 19 as Chief.

Source: Author ncterp

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor stedman before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.

The Supremes Trivia Quiz

U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justices

No, not the singing group from Motown. There have been 17 Chief Justices of the U.S. Supreme Court. In this matching quiz you will be given the names of 15 of the Chief Justices and be asked to match him up with the president who nominated him.

Questions		Choices
1. Oliver Ellsworth		Ulysses S. Grant
2. John Marshall		Ronald Reagan
3. John Jay		George Washington
4. Roger Brooke Taney		John Adams
5. Salmon Portland Chase		George Washington
6. Morrison R. Waite		Harry S. Truman
7. Melville Weston Fuller		Grover Cleveland
8. Edward Douglas White		William Howard Taft
9. William Howard Taft		Andrew Jackson
10. Charles Evans Hughes		Dwight David Eisenhower
11. Harlan Fiske Stone		Abraham Lincoln
12. Frederick Moore Vinson		Warren G. Harding
13. Earl Warren		Franklin Delano Roosevelt
14. Warren E. Burger		Richard M. Nixon
15. William Hubbs Rehnquist		Herbert Hoover