Dennis Hutchinson

4711. The Man Who Once Was Whizzer White A Portrait of Justice Byron R. White, by Dennis J. Hutchinson (read 23 May 2010) This is a superlative biography, written without the subject's cooperation and looking very even-handedly at the amazing career of White, who was born June 8, 1917, and served for over 30 years on the Supreme Court. The book came out in 1998, long after White retired from the Supreme Court in 1993. I cannot see how a better biography of White can be written--and White's show more career before he went on the Court was astoundingly interesting--growing up in a small town in Colorado, a stupendous college football career, a Rhodes scholar (during which time he first met Jack Kennedy), a time as a pro football player, an interesting naval career in World War II (where he investigated the loss of PT-109), completion of law school at Yale, clerking for Chief Justice Vinson at the Supreme Court, practicing law in Denver, working in the Kennedy campaign, and time in the Justice Department while Bobby Kennedy was Attorney-General. An excellent, excellent book. As good a judicial biography as could be written about an important Justice. show less