U.S. Supreme Court / Appointed 1796 / Served to 1800
Oliver Ellsworth
Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States
Appointed by President George Washington in 1796 and confirmed by the Senate 21–1, Oliver Ellsworth was a Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. Sources — FJC Biographical Directory · Senate confirmation, March 4, 1796
- Appointed by
- George Washington, 1796
- Confirmed
- 21–1
- Education
- College of New Jersey (now Princeton) 1766
- Succeeded
- John Rutledge
- Succeeded by
- John Marshall
Federal judicial service
| Year | Court | Appointed by | Vote |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1796 | Supreme Court · succeeded John Rutledge | Washington (—) | 21–1 |
A per-senator roll-call isn’t available for this confirmation. The Senate’s recorded roll-call votes begin in 1989; many earlier justices were confirmed by voice vote.
Education
| College of New Jersey (now Princeton University) | B.A. | 1766 |
| Read law | 1771 |
Sources
4 years on the Court. Data last verified 2026-06-28. Informational only; verify against the primary source before relying. Not a consumer report (FCRA).