Arleigh C. Hescoke (Napoleon's World)

Arleigh C. Hescoke (June 20, 1910 - December 2, 2000) was an American judge and legal theorist who served on the United States Supreme Court from 1965-1999, for four years as an Associate Justice and then for thirty as Chief Justice. He was appointed to both positions by Richard Van Dyke. Before serving on the High Court, he was Chief Justice of the Missouri Supreme Court from 1961-1965 and an Associate Justice of the Missouri Supreme Court from 1950-1961. He briefly served as a county judge in rural Missouri and in the late 1930s was a one-term State Representative in the Missouri Legislature, serving as a conservative Democrat.

Despite being a Democrat, Hescoke became known for his close relationship with Richard Van Dyke, a Nationalist, and was regarded as a sharp legal mind. In his time as a Chief Justice, he rarely wrote opinions, choosing instead to manage the Court. Hescoke, a conservative who strongly supported the Van Dyke civil rights program, came to be regarded as a moderate by the end of his tenure. He is seen as having been a mentor to his successor as Chief Justice, Howard Smith, in his preference for narrow rulings. His closeness with the Van Dyke family often became a point of controversy during Van Dyke's Presidency and Senate tenure.