Citation #8352, WH66507.04. LBJ Library

President Johnson explains Abe Fortas’s qualifications to Senator Richard Russell, emphasizing Fortas’s skills as a “craftsman,” a “technician,” and a "teacher" as well as being "one of the great lawyers of this country."

Citation #8381, WH6507.07. LBJ Library

Ramsey Clark, a Texan, was Deputy Attorney General and the son of U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice Thomas Clark. In an over 35-minute call, he spoke to President Johnson about judicial appointments and other matters. The two men were keenly aware of political constituencies and discussed the merits of appointing a black judge, an Italian judge, a Jewish judge, and a woman judge. In this first clip, Ramsey and President Johnson discussed appointing a female to the Supreme Court. Both wanted to put a woman on the court and put more women in the federal judiciary, but worried that an appointment at this time would appear “gimmicky.”

Citation #8382, WH6507.07. LBJ Library

In this clip, Johnson asked Ramsey Clark if they would “catch much hell on Abe Fortas.” Ramsey provided an enthusiastic endorsement, explaining that Fortas would be a “truly distinguished appointment” and that “history will show that you appointed a great judge.”

Citation #8406, WH6507.09. LBJ Library

Although Fortas had rebuffed the President, Johnson decided to hold a press conference to announce him as the nominee. In this call, Johnson invited him to watch the proceedings.

Citation #8415, WH6507.09. LBJ Library

Johnson had irritated Fortas's wife, the well-known tax attorney Carol Agger, by pressing forward with the nomination. In his pithy style, Johnson worried that pushing back Judiciary Committee hearings to accommodate Agger was a serious political mistake.

Citation #8427, WH6508.03. LBJ Library

Johnson congratulated Fortas on a unanimous vote of support from the Senate Judiciary Committee.