▁appointed ▁White ▁as ▁an ▁Associ ate ▁Justice ▁of ▁the ▁Supreme ▁Court ▁of ▁the ▁United ▁States . ▁In ▁ 1 9 1 0 , ▁President ▁William ▁Howard ▁T aft ▁elev ated ▁him ▁to ▁the ▁position ▁of ▁Chief ▁Justice . ▁The ▁appointment ▁surprised ▁many ▁contempor aries , ▁as ▁T aft ▁was ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁Republican ▁Party . ▁White ▁served ▁as ▁Chief ▁Justice ▁until ▁his ▁death ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 1 , ▁when ▁he ▁was ▁succeeded ▁by ▁T aft . ▁ ▁He ▁s ided ▁with ▁the ▁Supreme ▁Court ▁majority ▁in ▁Pl ess y ▁v . ▁Fer g us on , ▁which ▁u ph eld ▁the ▁leg ality ▁of ▁state ▁seg reg ation ▁to ▁provide ▁" separ ate ▁but ▁equal " ▁public ▁facilities ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States , ▁despite ▁prote ctions ▁of ▁the ▁Four teenth ▁Am end ment ▁to ▁equal ▁protection ▁of ▁the ▁laws . ▁In ▁one ▁of ▁several ▁challeng es ▁to ▁Southern ▁states ' ▁grand father ▁cla uses , ▁used ▁to ▁dis f ranch ise ▁African - American ▁vot ers ▁at ▁the ▁turn ▁of ▁the ▁century , ▁he ▁wrote ▁for ▁a ▁un anim ous ▁court ▁in ▁Gu inn ▁v . ▁United ▁States , ▁which ▁struck ▁down ▁many ▁Southern ▁states ' ▁grand father ▁cla uses . ▁He ▁also ▁wrote ▁the ▁opinion ▁in ▁the ▁Select ive ▁D raft ▁Law ▁C ases , ▁which ▁u ph eld ▁the ▁constitution ality ▁of ▁cons cription . ▁ ▁Early ▁life ▁and ▁education ▁White ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁ 1 8 4 5 ▁in ▁his ▁parents ' ▁plant ation ▁house , ▁now