Supreme Court / Appointed 1945 / Served to 1958
Portrait of Harold Hitz Burton

Harold Hitz Burton

Associate Justice, Supreme Court of the United States

Appointed by President Harry S Truman in 1945 and confirmed by voice vote, Harold Hitz Burton was an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. He earned a law degree from Harvard Law School in 1912. 90 opinions of the Court ↓ Sources ↓

Lived
1888–1964
Appointed by
Harry S Truman, 1945
Confirmed
by voice vote
Education
Bowdoin College 1909 · Harvard Law School 1912
Succeeded by
Potter Stewart

Federal judicial service

YearCourtAppointed byVote
1945Supreme CourtTruman (D)Voice vote

Party letters show the appointing president’s party, not the judge’s own. A voice vote means the chamber approved aloud. No senator-by-senator tally is recorded.

Confirmation vote

Voice vote

The Senate approved this confirmation aloud, with no senator-by-senator tally recorded. Recorded roll-call votes begin in 1989.

Education

Opinions of the Court

Burton delivered 90 opinions of the Court in the covered window (October Term 1946 – October Term 1957). Most cited: Roviaro v. United States (3,599 citations).

YearCaseCitationCited
1958Ashdown v. Utah357 U.S. 426 (1958)
1958Beilan v. Board of Public Education, School District of Philadelphia357 U.S. 399 (1958)205
1958United States v. Central Eureka Mining Co. et al.357 U.S. 155 (1958)260
1958International Union, United Automobile, Aircraft and Agricultural Implement Workers of America (uaw-Cio) et al. v. Russell356 U.S. 634 (1958)417
1958National Labor Relations Board v. Wooster Division of Borg-Warner Corp.356 U.S. 342 (1958)422
1958United States v. Sharpnack355 U.S. 286 (1958)190
1957Youngdahl et al. v. Rainfair, Inc.355 U.S. 131 (1957)232
1957Morey, Auditor of Public Accounts of Illinois, et al. v. Doud et al., Doing Business as Bondified Systems, et al.354 U.S. 457 (1957)570
1957Curcio v. United States354 U.S. 118 (1957)349
1957California v. Taylor et al.353 U.S. 553 (1957)153
1957Libson Shops, Inc., v. Koehler, District Director of Internal Revenue353 U.S. 382 (1957)242
1957United States for the Benefit of Sherman et al., Trustees, v. Carter et al., Doing Business as Carter Construction Co., et al.353 U.S. 210 (1957)314
1957Roviaro v. United States353 U.S. 53 (1957)3599
1957United States v. Turley352 U.S. 407 (1957)418
1957Nilva v. United States352 U.S. 385 (1957)182
1957Delli Paoli v. United States352 U.S. 232 (1957)642
1956United States Ex Rel. Darcy v. Handy, Warden, et al.351 U.S. 454 (1956)147
1956Cold Metal Process Co. et al. v. United Engineering & Foundry Co.351 U.S. 445 (1956)225
1956Sears, Roebuck & Co. v. Mackey et al.351 U.S. 427 (1956)986
1956Durley v. Mayo, Custodian, Florida State Prison351 U.S. 277 (1956)
1956United Mine Workers of America et al. v. Arkansas Oak Flooring Co.351 U.S. 62 (1956)103
1956International Harvester Credit Corp. et al. v. Goodrich et al., Constituting the State Tax Commission of New York350 U.S. 537 (1956)
1956Mastro Plastics Corp. et al. v. National Labor Relations Board350 U.S. 270 (1956)594
1956Ryan Stevedoring Co., Inc. v. Pan-Atlantic Steamship Corp.350 U.S. 124 (1956)1330
1955Federal Power Commission v. Oregon et al.349 U.S. 435 (1955)
1955Federal Power Commission v. Colorado Interstate Gas Co.348 U.S. 492 (1955)170
1955United States v. Guy W. Capps, Inc.348 U.S. 296 (1955)
1955United States v. Koppers Company, Inc.348 U.S. 254 (1955)
1955Commissioner of Internal Revenue v. Estate of Sternberger, Chase National Bank of New York, Executor348 U.S. 187 (1955)167
1954National Union of Marine Cooks and Stewards v. Arnold et al.348 U.S. 37 (1954)
1954United Construction Workers et al. v. Laburnum Construction Corp.347 U.S. 656 (1954)446
1954Allen, Chairman, Twelfth Region Wage Stabilization Board, et al. v. Grand Central Aircraft Co.347 U.S. 535 (1954)147
1954Barsky v. Board of Regents of the University of the State of New York347 U.S. 442 (1954)214
1954Federal Power Commission v. Niagara Mohawk Power Corp.347 U.S. 239 (1954)108
1954Salsburg v. Maryland346 U.S. 545 (1954)266
1953National Labor Relations Board v. Local Union No. 1229, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers346 U.S. 464 (1953)199
1953United States v. Grainger346 U.S. 235 (1953)
1953Bridges et al. v. United States346 U.S. 209 (1953)107
1953Transcontinental & Western Air, Inc. v. Koppal345 U.S. 653 (1953)182
1953Watson et al. v. Commissioner of Internal Revenue345 U.S. 544 (1953)
1953May v. Anderson345 U.S. 528 (1953)674
1953Ford Motor Co. v. Huffman et al.345 U.S. 330 (1953)1048
1953Local Union No. 10, United Association of Journeymen Plumbers & Steamfitters, et al. v. Graham et al., Trading as Graham Brothers345 U.S. 192 (1953)
1953National Labor Relations Board v. Gamble Enterprises, Inc.345 U.S. 117 (1953)
1953American Newspaper Publishers Association v. National Labor Relations Board345 U.S. 100 (1953)
1953Kwong Hai Chew v. Colding et al.344 U.S. 590 (1953)1206
1952King et al., Constituting the Florida Railroad and Public Utilities Commission, v. United States et al.344 U.S. 254 (1952)
1952Isbrandtsen Company, Inc. v. Johnson343 U.S. 779 (1952)304
1952Public Utilities Commission of the District of Columbia et al. v. Pollak et al.343 U.S. 451 (1952)544
1952Madsen v. Kinsella, Warden343 U.S. 341 (1952)
1952Rutkin v. United States343 U.S. 130 (1952)360
1952Lykes v. United States343 U.S. 118 (1952)177
1952Lilly et al. v. Commissioner of Internal Revenue343 U.S. 90 (1952)186
1952Perkins v. Benguet Consolidated Mining Co. et al.342 U.S. 437 (1952)1544
1951Lorain Journal Co. et al. v. United States342 U.S. 143 (1951)413
1951Local 74, United Brotherhood of Carpenters & Joiners of America, a. F. of L., et al. v. National Labor Relations Board341 U.S. 707 (1951)125
1951International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers et al. v. National Labor Relations Board341 U.S. 694 (1951)359
1951National Labor Relations Board v. Denver Building & Construction Trades Council et al.341 U.S. 675 (1951)721
1951National Labor Relations Board v. International Rice Milling Co., Inc. et al.341 U.S. 665 (1951)181
1951Joint Anti-Fascist Refugee Committee v. McGrath, Attorney General, et al.341 U.S. 123 (1951)1907
1951Spector Motor Service, Inc. v. O'Connor, Tax Commissioner340 U.S. 602 (1951)338
1951United States v. Yellow CAB Co.340 U.S. 543 (1951)432
1951Niagara Hudson Power Corp. v. Leventritt340 U.S. 336 (1951)
1951Standard Oil Co. v. Federal Trade Commission340 U.S. 231 (1951)195
1950Henderson v. United States et al.339 U.S. 816 (1950)
1950United States v. Kansas City Life Insurance Co.339 U.S. 799 (1950)151
1950Powell et al. v. United States Cartridge Co.339 U.S. 497 (1950)250
1950Railway Labor Executives' Association v. United States et al.339 U.S. 142 (1950)
1950United States v. Benedict et al., Trustees, et al.338 U.S. 692 (1950)
1950United States Ex Rel. Eichenlaub v. Shaughnessy, Acting District Director of Immigration and Naturalization338 U.S. 521 (1950)
1950Savorgnan v. United States et al.338 U.S. 491 (1950)135
1949Oakley v. Louisville & Nashville Railroad Co. et al.338 U.S. 278 (1949)
1949McGrath, Attorney General, as Successor to the Alien Property Custodian, v. Manufacturers Trust Co.338 U.S. 241 (1949)
1949Commissioner of Internal Revenue v. Wodehouse337 U.S. 369 (1949)
1949United States v. Wittek337 U.S. 346 (1949)
1949National Labor Relations Board v. Crompton-Highland Mills, Inc.337 U.S. 217 (1949)146
1949United States v. Penn Foundry & Manufacturing Co., Inc.337 U.S. 198 (1949)
1949Goggin, Trustee in Bankruptcy, v. Division of Labor Law Enforcement of California336 U.S. 118 (1949)
1949Commissioner of Internal Revenue v. Jacobson336 U.S. 28 (1949)341
1948Grand River Dam Authority v. Grand-Hydro335 U.S. 359 (1948)
1948Taylor v. Alabama335 U.S. 252 (1948)
1948Lichter et al., Doing Business as Southern Fireproofing Co., v. United States334 U.S. 742 (1948)478
1948Bute v. Illinois333 U.S. 640 (1948)327
1947Morris v. McComb, Wage and Hour Administrator332 U.S. 422 (1947)187
1947United States v. National Lead Co. et al.332 U.S. 319 (1947)123
1947Order of United Commercial Travelers of America v. Wolfe331 U.S. 586 (1947)206
1947Myers v. Reading Company331 U.S. 477 (1947)172
1947Pyramid Motor Freight Corp. v. Ispass et al.330 U.S. 695 (1947)132
1947Levinson v. Spector Motor Service330 U.S. 649 (1947)219
1946United States v. Carmack329 U.S. 230 (1946)305

Opinions of the Court only: the Court’s slip-opinion tables don’t list dissents or concurrences separately. Earlier opinions arrive with the bound-volume ingest. Browse all Supreme Court opinions.

Questions & answers

Who appointed Harold Hitz Burton?
President Harry S Truman appointed Harold Hitz Burton to the Supreme Court of the United States in 1945.
Was Harold Hitz Burton appointed by a Democrat or a Republican?
Harold Hitz Burton was appointed by President Harry S Truman, a Democrat. JudicialFinder records the appointing president's party, not a judge's own politics.
What was Harold Hitz Burton's confirmation vote?
Harold Hitz Burton was confirmed by voice vote on September 19, 1945. No senator-by-senator tally was recorded.
Which court was Harold Hitz Burton on?
Harold Hitz Burton was an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States.

Sources

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13 years on the Supreme Court of the United States. Data as of 2026-08-10. Informational only; verify against the primary source before relying. Not a consumer report (FCRA).