Supreme Court / Appointed 1789 / Served to 1795
Portrait of John Jay

John Jay

Chief Justice, Supreme Court of the United States

Appointed by President George Washington in 1789 and confirmed by voice vote, John Jay was a Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. Sources ↓

Lived
1745–1829
Appointed by
George Washington, 1789
Confirmed
by voice vote
Education
King's College (now Columbia) 1764
Succeeded by
John Rutledge

Federal judicial service

YearCourtAppointed byVote
1789Supreme CourtWashington ()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

Questions & answers

Who appointed John Jay?
President George Washington appointed John Jay to the Supreme Court of the United States in 1789.
What was John Jay's confirmation vote?
John Jay was confirmed by voice vote on September 26, 1789. No senator-by-senator tally was recorded.
Which court was John Jay on?
John Jay was a Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States.

Sources

Each fact on this page traces to a primary public record.

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5 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).