‘Rudest man in Washington’ remembered primarily for his bigotry

Cotter’s Corner

By Daniel A. Cotter

Daniel A. Cotter is a partner at Butler Rubin Saltarelli & Boyd LLP, where he chairs the insurance regulatory and transactions practice. He is also a member of The Chicago Bar Association editorial board and immediate past president of the CBA. The article contains his opinions and is not to be attributed to anyone else. He can be reached at dcotter@butlerrubin.com.

Posted September 26, 2016 12:55 PM

Updated September 30, 2016 4:04 PM

In my last column, I mentioned that former U.S. Supreme Court Justice James McReynolds targeted Justice Benjamin Cardozo with open anti-Semitism.McReynolds’ bigotry was not limited to Cardozo, and his racial animosity and sexism was also on frequent display.McReynolds earned the title “The Rudest man in Washington,” during his time on the bench and is considered by many to be the most hateful, prejudiced justice to have served on the high court.Early life and career McReynolds was born on a plantation in …

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