The Supreme Court: Oliver Wendell Holmes & Substantive Due Process

We continue our series on the most important Supreme Court justices by spotlighting Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr.: His life, Civil War service, and his jurisprudence.

Dr. John Foster also explains Holmes’s contribution to substantive due process, a legal doctrine that’s received A LOT of attention lately.

And that’s not all! You’ll also hear about Holmes getting shot through the neck, his love triangle with William James, and discover the origin of the phrase “clear and present danger.”

The two previous lectures in this series focused on Chief Justice John Marshal and The Great Dissenter, John Marshal Harlan. Both can be watched in their entirety on our YouTube channel. The series concludes in October with a lecture about Earl Warren.

In addition to being a reference librarian, Foster has a doctorate degree in history. He has taught history at both high school and college levels. Previously, he has led series on the Battles of World War II, the Cold War, the American Revolution, The Vietnam Wars, and US Presidents of the 20^th Century at the library.