<Table> <Tr> <Th colspan="3"> Chief Justice </Th> <Th> Date confirmed ( Vote ) </Th> <Th> Tenure </Th> <Th> Tenure length </Th> <Th> Appointed by </Th> <Th> Prior position </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> John Jay ( 1745 -- 1829 ) </Td> <Td> September 26 , 1789 ( Acclamation ) </Td> <Td> October 19 , 1789 -- June 29 , 1795 ( Resigned ) </Td> <Td> 7003207900000000000 ♠ 5 years , 253 days </Td> <Td> George Washington </Td> <Td> Acting United States Secretary of State ( 1789 -- 1790 ) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> John Rutledge ( 1739 -- 1800 ) </Td> <Td> December 15 , 1795 ( 10 -- 14 ) </Td> <Td> August 12 , 1795 -- December 28 , 1795 ( Resigned , nomination having been rejected ) </Td> <Td> 7002138000000000000 ♠ 138 days </Td> <Td> Chief Justice of the South Carolina Court of Common Pleas and Sessions ( 1791 -- 1795 ) Associate Justice of the Supreme Court ( 1789 -- 1791 ) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Oliver Ellsworth ( 1745 -- 1807 ) </Td> <Td> March 4 , 1796 ( 21 -- 1 ) </Td> <Td> March 8 , 1796 -- December 15 , 1800 ( Resigned ) </Td> <Td> 7003174200000000000 ♠ 4 years , 282 days </Td> <Td> United States Senator from Connecticut ( 1789 -- 1796 ) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> John Marshall ( 1755 -- 1835 ) </Td> <Td> January 27 , 1801 ( Acclamation ) </Td> <Td> February 4 , 1801 -- July 6 , 1835 ( Died ) </Td> <Td> 7004125700000000000 ♠ 34 years , 152 days </Td> <Td> John Adams </Td> <Td> 4th United States Secretary of State ( 1800 -- 1801 ) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 5 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Roger B. Taney ( 1777 -- 1864 ) </Td> <Td> March 15 , 1836 ( 29 -- 15 ) </Td> <Td> March 28 , 1836 -- October 12 , 1864 ( Died ) </Td> <Td> 7004104250000000000 ♠ 28 years , 198 days </Td> <Td> Andrew Jackson </Td> <Td> 12th United States Secretary of the Treasury ( 1833 -- 1834 ) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 6 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Salmon P. Chase ( 1808 -- 1873 ) </Td> <Td> December 6 , 1864 ( Acclamation ) </Td> <Td> December 15 , 1864 -- May 7 , 1873 ( Died ) </Td> <Td> 7003306500000000000 ♠ 8 years , 143 days </Td> <Td> Abraham Lincoln </Td> <Td> 25th United States Secretary of the Treasury ( 1861 -- 1864 ) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 7 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Morrison Waite ( 1816 -- 1888 ) </Td> <Td> January 21 , 1874 ( 63 -- 0 ) </Td> <Td> March 4 , 1874 -- March 23 , 1888 ( Died ) </Td> <Td> 7003513300000000000 ♠ 14 years , 19 days </Td> <Td> Ulysses S. Grant </Td> <Td> Ohio State Senator ( 1849 -- 1850 ) Presiding officer , Ohio constitutional convention ( 1873 ) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 8 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Melville Fuller ( 1833 -- 1910 ) </Td> <Td> July 20 , 1888 ( 41 -- 20 ) </Td> <Td> October 8 , 1888 -- July 4 , 1910 ( Died ) </Td> <Td> 7003793800000000000 ♠ 21 years , 269 days </Td> <Td> Grover Cleveland </Td> <Td> President , Illinois State Bar Association ( 1886 ) Illinois State Representative ( 1863 -- 1865 ) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 9 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Edward Douglass White ( 1845 -- 1921 ) </Td> <Td> December 12 , 1910 ( Acclamation ) </Td> <Td> December 19 , 1910 -- May 19 , 1921 ( Died ) </Td> <Td> 7003380400000000000 ♠ 10 years , 151 days </Td> <Td> William Howard Taft </Td> <Td> Associate Justice of the Supreme Court ( 1894 -- 1910 ) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 10 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> William Howard Taft ( 1857 -- 1930 ) </Td> <Td> June 30 , 1921 ( Acclamation ) </Td> <Td> July 11 , 1921 -- February 3 , 1930 ( Retired ) </Td> <Td> 7003312900000000000 ♠ 8 years , 207 days </Td> <Td> Warren G. Harding </Td> <Td> 27th President of the United States ( 1909 -- 1913 ) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 11 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Charles Evans Hughes ( 1862 -- 1948 ) </Td> <Td> February 13 , 1930 ( 52 -- 26 ) </Td> <Td> February 24 , 1930 -- June 30 , 1941 ( Retired ) </Td> <Td> 7003414400000000000 ♠ 11 years , 126 days </Td> <Td> Herbert Hoover </Td> <Td> 44th United States Secretary of State ( 1921 -- 1925 ) Associate Justice of the Supreme Court ( 1910 -- 1916 ) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 12 </Td>
<Table> <Tr> <Th colspan="3"> Chief Justice </Th> <Th> Date confirmed ( Vote ) </Th> <Th> Tenure </Th> <Th> Tenure length </Th> <Th> Appointed by </Th> <Th> Prior position </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> John Jay ( 1745 -- 1829 ) </Td> <Td> September 26 , 1789 ( Acclamation ) </Td> <Td> October 19 , 1789 -- June 29 , 1795 ( Resigned ) </Td> <Td> 7003207900000000000 ♠ 5 years , 253 days </Td> <Td> George Washington </Td> <Td> Acting United States Secretary of State ( 1789 -- 1790 ) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> John Rutledge ( 1739 -- 1800 ) </Td> <Td> December 15 , 1795 ( 10 -- 14 ) </Td> <Td> August 12 , 1795 -- December 28 , 1795 ( Resigned , nomination having been rejected ) </Td> <Td> 7002138000000000000 ♠ 138 days </Td> <Td> Chief Justice of the South Carolina Court of Common Pleas and Sessions ( 1791 -- 1795 ) Associate Justice of the Supreme Court ( 1789 -- 1791 ) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Oliver Ellsworth ( 1745 -- 1807 ) </Td> <Td> March 4 , 1796 ( 21 -- 1 ) </Td> <Td> March 8 , 1796 -- December 15 , 1800 ( Resigned ) </Td> <Td> 7003174200000000000 ♠ 4 years , 282 days </Td> <Td> United States Senator from Connecticut ( 1789 -- 1796 ) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> John Marshall ( 1755 -- 1835 ) </Td> <Td> January 27 , 1801 ( Acclamation ) </Td> <Td> February 4 , 1801 -- July 6 , 1835 ( Died ) </Td> <Td> 7004125700000000000 ♠ 34 years , 152 days </Td> <Td> John Adams </Td> <Td> 4th United States Secretary of State ( 1800 -- 1801 ) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 5 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Roger B. Taney ( 1777 -- 1864 ) </Td> <Td> March 15 , 1836 ( 29 -- 15 ) </Td> <Td> March 28 , 1836 -- October 12 , 1864 ( Died ) </Td> <Td> 7004104250000000000 ♠ 28 years , 198 days </Td> <Td> Andrew Jackson </Td> <Td> 12th United States Secretary of the Treasury ( 1833 -- 1834 ) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 6 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Salmon P. Chase ( 1808 -- 1873 ) </Td> <Td> December 6 , 1864 ( Acclamation ) </Td> <Td> December 15 , 1864 -- May 7 , 1873 ( Died ) </Td> <Td> 7003306500000000000 ♠ 8 years , 143 days </Td> <Td> Abraham Lincoln </Td> <Td> 25th United States Secretary of the Treasury ( 1861 -- 1864 ) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 7 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Morrison Waite ( 1816 -- 1888 ) </Td> <Td> January 21 , 1874 ( 63 -- 0 ) </Td> <Td> March 4 , 1874 -- March 23 , 1888 ( Died ) </Td> <Td> 7003513300000000000 ♠ 14 years , 19 days </Td> <Td> Ulysses S. Grant </Td> <Td> Ohio State Senator ( 1849 -- 1850 ) Presiding officer , Ohio constitutional convention ( 1873 ) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 8 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Melville Fuller ( 1833 -- 1910 ) </Td> <Td> July 20 , 1888 ( 41 -- 20 ) </Td> <Td> October 8 , 1888 -- July 4 , 1910 ( Died ) </Td> <Td> 7003793800000000000 ♠ 21 years , 269 days </Td> <Td> Grover Cleveland </Td> <Td> President , Illinois State Bar Association ( 1886 ) Illinois State Representative ( 1863 -- 1865 ) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 9 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Edward Douglass White ( 1845 -- 1921 ) </Td> <Td> December 12 , 1910 ( Acclamation ) </Td> <Td> December 19 , 1910 -- May 19 , 1921 ( Died ) </Td> <Td> 7003380400000000000 ♠ 10 years , 151 days </Td> <Td> William Howard Taft </Td> <Td> Associate Justice of the Supreme Court ( 1894 -- 1910 ) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 10 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> William Howard Taft ( 1857 -- 1930 ) </Td> <Td> June 30 , 1921 ( Acclamation ) </Td> <Td> July 11 , 1921 -- February 3 , 1930 ( Retired ) </Td> <Td> 7003312900000000000 ♠ 8 years , 207 days </Td> <Td> Warren G. Harding </Td> <Td> 27th President of the United States ( 1909 -- 1913 ) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 11 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Charles Evans Hughes ( 1862 -- 1948 ) </Td> <Td> February 13 , 1930 ( 52 -- 26 ) </Td> <Td> February 24 , 1930 -- June 30 , 1941 ( Retired ) </Td> <Td> 7003414400000000000 ♠ 11 years , 126 days </Td> <Td> Herbert Hoover </Td> <Td> 44th United States Secretary of State ( 1921 -- 1925 ) Associate Justice of the Supreme Court ( 1910 -- 1916 ) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 12 </Td>
who is the first chief justice of the supreme court
who is the first chief justice of the supreme court
John Jay
John Jay