# George Shiras Jr. *American lawyer and associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States (1892–1903)* George Shiras Jr. (January 26, 1832 – August 2, 1924) was an American lawyer and an associate justice of the [[Supreme Court of the United States]] from 1892 to 1903. When he was appointed, he had spent 37 years in private legal practice and had never sat as a judge in any case.[^1] His votes in two cases from his time on the Court are what he is chiefly remembered for. The first was *Pollock v. Farmers' Loan & Trust Co.* (1895), in which the Court held the Income Tax Act of 1894 unconstitutional. The second was *Plessy v. Ferguson* (1896), in which he joined the majority that upheld racial segregation under the "separate but equal" doctrine.[^1] Because of the *Pollock* ruling, a federal income tax required a constitutional amendment. The Sixteenth Amendment was ratified in 1913.[^1] ## Life and career Shiras was a native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, born January 26, 1832. He studied at Ohio University before completing his degree at Yale College in 1853, where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. He enrolled at Yale Law School but did not finish a law degree. Instead he prepared for the bar by reading law in a law office.[^1] His practice began in Dubuque, Iowa, where he worked from 1855 to 1858. He then practiced in Pittsburgh from 1858 until 1892. There he built a reputation as a corporate lawyer whose clients included some of the country's largest industrial concerns.[^1] On July 19, 1892, President Benjamin Harrison nominated Shiras to the Court as an associate justice. He was to fill the seat of [[Joseph P. Bradley]]. Secretary of State James G. Blaine, his third cousin, had recommended him. The [[United States Senate]] gave its confirmation on July 26, 1892, and Shiras was sworn in on October 10, 1892.[^1] Shiras served on the Court for more than ten years. In that time he wrote 253 majority decisions and 14 dissents.[^1] In *Pollock*, Shiras was among the five justices in the 5–4 majority that invalidated the 1894 income tax act. Historians disagree about which justice changed his vote in the case. Some identify Shiras, while others point to [[Horace Gray]] or David Brewer.[^1] In *Plessy v. Ferguson* (1896), Shiras was part of the 7–1 majority. That majority held racial segregation under the separate-but-equal doctrine to be constitutional.[^1] ## Legacy A Liberty ship of World War II, the SS *George Shiras*, bore his name.[^1] ## Notes [^1]: Wikipedia contributors, *George Shiras Jr.* (revision 1342206173, retrieved 2026-10-26) — Shiras's dates, education, legal practice, nomination, confirmation and oath, opinion counts, the *Pollock* and *Plessy* votes, and the Liberty ship namesake. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Shiras_Jr.