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An Unlikely Springboard: Sandra Day O’Connor’s Path from the Arizona Senate to the United States Supreme Court

Live Presentation via Zoom
Virtual Screening Room
Wednesday, Jun 10, 2026 12:00 PM
Arizona / Mountain Standard Time
Join the Arizona Historical Society and Dr. Donna Schuele for an installment of Arizona Histories, American Stories series celebrating Arizona's role in 250 years of American history.

How did O’Connor, a relatively new appointee to the relatively new Arizona Court of Appeals, come on President Ronald Reagan’s radar screen for an appointment to the Supreme Court? The answer may lie in her legislative, and not her judicial, career. This talk will explore the connection between Senate Majority Leader O’Connor and Governor Reagan, made nearly ten years before her nomination to the highest court in the land.

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Donna Schuele received her law degree and Ph.D. from UC Berkeley.  She has clerked on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and the U.S. Bankruptcy Court, and now teaches law, history, and political science in the California State University system.  Dr. Schuele was recently elected to the Executive Board of the Organization of American Historians, where she also serves as a Distinguished Lecturer, and she regularly teaches at the Chautauqua Institution and for Road Scholar.  Her commentary has appeared in the Los Angeles Times and the New York Times, and she has made numerous appearances on the television show Who Do You Think You Are?  She is recognized as an expert in historical and present-day issues involving the Constitution, the Supreme Court, and the presidency.  Her research has been generously supported by the Arizona Historical Society.