Frederick Christian Struckmeyer Jr. (January 4, 1912 – June 22, 1992) was a justice of the Supreme Court of Arizona from January 3, 1955, to January 19, 1982. He served as chief justice of the court on four occasions.

Biography

Struckmeyer was the eldest son of Justice Frederick Christian "F.C." Struckmeyer, Sr., who served one term on the Superior Court in Maricopa County from 1923 to 1925, then as code commissioner. Struckmeyer received a bachelor's degree and then a

law degree A law degree is an academic degree conferred for studies in law. Such degrees are generally preparation for legal careers. But while their curricula may be reviewed by legal authority, they do not confer a license themselves. A legal license is gra ...

in 1936 from University of Arizona. He went to work as a deputy Maricopa County attorney before serving in the United States Army during World War II where he was awarded the

Silver Star The Silver Star Medal (SSM) is the United States Armed Forces' third-highest military decoration for valor in combat. The Silver Star Medal is awarded primarily to members of the United States Armed Forces for gallantry in action against an e ...

Bronze Star Medal The Bronze Star Medal (BSM) is a United States Armed Forces decoration awarded to members of the United States Armed Forces for either heroic achievement, heroic service, meritorious achievement, or meritorious service in a combat zone. Wh ...

and a Purple Heart. He became a Superior Court judge in 1950. Five years later he was elected to the Arizona Supreme Court, where he served for 26 years. At 43, he was the youngest person ever elected or appointed to the Supreme Court. After his mandatory retirement at the age of 70 he was appointed to the Arizona Racing Commission. On February 9, 1953, Judge Struckmeyer decided the case
Phillips vs. Phoenix Union High Schools and Junior College District
', a case over Carver High School, the only legally segregated high school in the state. In the case, Struckmeyer ruled that the Arizona law permitting school boards to segregate pupils was unconstitutional, and the Phoenix Union High School District segregation of African-American students was illegal. "A half century of intolerance is enough," wrote Struckmeyer. The school board did not appeal. His decision was made a year before the

Supreme Court of the United States The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all U.S. federal court cases, and over state court cases that involve a point o ...

decided Brown v. Board of Education. In 1988, he rejoined the high court for
Green v. Osborne
', a 4–1 decision that canceled a recall election for Evan Mecham because Mecham already had been impeached and removed as governor.''Ex-Justice Fred Struckmeyer Dies'', The Arizona Republic, June 22, 1982, B2. Judge Struckmeyer died in 1992 and was buried at the National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona in Phoenix.

References

9. https://www.myazbar.org/AZAttorney/Archives/July98/7-98a5.htm

Biography

See also

References

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