8 0 ; ▁ 1 8 8 8 – 1 8 9 2 ), ▁a ▁former ▁Confeder ate ▁general . ▁ ▁United ▁States ▁Supreme ▁Court ▁ ▁Associ ate ▁justice ▁White ▁was ▁nominated ▁by ▁President ▁Gro ver ▁Cleveland ▁to ▁be ▁an ▁associate ▁justice ▁of ▁the ▁Supreme ▁Court ▁of ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁in ▁February ▁ 1 8 9 4 , ▁after ▁the ▁failed ▁nomin ations ▁of ▁William ▁B . ▁Horn b lower ▁and ▁Whe eler ▁Haz ard ▁Pe ck ham . ▁In ▁contrast ▁to ▁those ▁nomin ations , ▁White ' s ▁was ▁approved ▁by ▁the ▁U . S . ▁Senate ▁the ▁same ▁day ▁it ▁was ▁received , ▁and ▁on ▁March ▁ 1 2 , ▁ 1 8 9 4 ▁he ▁took ▁the ▁jud icial ▁o ath ▁of ▁office . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 9 6 ▁White ▁was ▁a ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁ 7 – 1 ▁majority ▁in ▁Pl ess y ▁v . ▁Fer g us on , ▁which ▁u ph eld ▁the ▁constitution ality ▁of ▁ra cial ▁seg reg ation ▁laws ▁for ▁public ▁facilities ▁as ▁long ▁as ▁the ▁seg reg ated ▁facilities ▁were ▁" equal ▁in ▁quality ." ▁ ▁Chief ▁justice ▁ ▁President ▁William ▁Howard ▁T aft ▁nominated ▁White ▁to ▁the ▁position ▁of ▁Chief ▁Justice ▁of ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁in ▁December ▁ 1 9 1 0 ▁following ▁the ▁death ▁of ▁Mel ville ▁Full er . ▁Although ▁White ▁had ▁served ▁for ▁six teen ▁years ▁on ▁the ▁Court , ▁the ▁appointment ▁was ▁controvers ial , ▁first ▁because ▁White ▁was ▁a ▁Dem ocrat ▁while ▁T aft ▁was