Justice Stanley F. Reed and the American Constitution

Abstract

This paper is not a eulogy nor a polemic. Its purpose is neither to praise nor condemn the life and work of Justice Stanley Reed. Its aspiration is rather that of a portrait "warts and all" of a man who occupied for nineteen years one of the highest and most responsible offices in the United States Government. This fact by itself merits a deeper study than is presented here and perhaps this will be expanded in the future. I have been asked many times why I chose Justice Reed. It is a legitimate question. My answer is that he is relatively unknown, little has been written about him, he is a fellow-Kentuckian, and most significant, he is still living. I believe the latter factor is responsible for the vitality that I hope distinguishes this paper. If the reader has made a new and rewarding acquaintance after reading this paper, it has been a success for I am writing not for self-expression but communication. [From Preface]