Childhood and Education Journey of Samuel Alito in Timeline

How education and upbringing influenced the life of Samuel Alito. A timeline of key moments.

Samuel Alito is an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, nominated by President George W. Bush. He has served on the court since January 31, 2006. Alito is the second Italian American justice to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court, following Antonin Scalia.

Sections (4)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Controversies & Scandals

April 1, 1950: Samuel Alito's Birth

On April 1, 1950, Samuel Anthony Alito Jr. was born. He is an American jurist who serves as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States.

Others born on this day/year

1952: Father's Position in NJ Government

In 1952, Samuel A. Alito Sr., Samuel Alito's father, became the first director of the New Jersey Office of Legislative Services.

1968: Graduation from Steinert High School

In 1968, Samuel Alito graduated from Steinert High School as the class valedictorian.

December 1969: Received Low Lottery Number

In December 1969, Samuel Alito, then a sophomore at Princeton, received a low lottery number of 32 in the Selective Service drawing.

1971: Chaired Student Conference

In 1971, while at Princeton, Samuel Alito chaired a student conference called "The Boundaries of Privacy in American Society" which advocated for curbs on domestic intelligence gathering.

1972: Graduation and Aspirations

In 1972, Samuel Alito graduated from Princeton and expressed his aspiration to "eventually warm a seat on the Supreme Court" in his yearbook.

1972: Graduation from Princeton University

In 1972, Samuel Alito graduated summa cum laude from the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University with a Bachelor of Arts degree. His senior thesis was on the Italian Constitutional Court.

1972: Commissioned as Second Lieutenant

In 1972, Samuel Alito was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the United States Army Reserve while he was studying at Princeton.

1975: Juris Doctor from Yale

In 1975, Samuel Alito earned a Juris Doctor degree from Yale Law School, where he also served as an editor of the Yale Law Journal.

1975: Started Military Duty

In 1975, after graduating from law school, Samuel Alito began his military duty, serving on active duty from September to December while attending the Signal Officer Basic Course at Fort Gordon, Georgia.

1980: Honorably Discharged

In 1980, Samuel Alito completed his service obligation as a member of the inactive reserve and was honorably discharged.

1984: Father's Retirement

In 1984, Samuel A. Alito Sr., Samuel Alito's father, retired from his position as the director of the New Jersey Office of Legislative Services, a role he had held since 1952.

1985: Marriage to Martha-Ann Bomgardner

In 1985, Alito married Martha-Ann Bomgardner, a law librarian. They have two children, and Martha-Ann left her profession to raise them.

1999: Adjunct Professor at Seton Hall

From 1999 to 2004, Alito was an adjunct professor at Seton Hall University School of Law in Newark, teaching courses in constitutional law and a course on terrorism and civil liberties.

2004: End of Tenure at Seton Hall

In 2004, Alito's time as an adjunct professor at Seton Hall University School of Law in Newark concluded, after teaching courses in constitutional law and a course on terrorism and civil liberties since 1999.

July 1, 2005: O'Connor Announces Retirement

On July 1, 2005, Associate Justice Sandra Day O'Connor announced her retirement from the Supreme Court, creating a vacancy.

May 25, 2007: Seton Hall Law Commencement Address

On May 25, 2007, Alito delivered the commencement address at Seton Hall Law's commencement ceremony and received an honorary law degree from the school.

2011: Visiting Professor at Duke University

In fall 2011, Alito was a visiting professor at Duke University School of Law, teaching Current Issues in Constitutional Interpretation.

2012: Teaching at Duke University

In summer 2012, Alito taught a course in the Master of Laws in Judicial Studies program as a visiting professor at Duke University School of Law.

November 12, 2020: Comments on COVID-19 Restrictions

On November 12, 2020, Alito spoke to the Federalist Society, criticizing the "loss of individual liberties" during the COVID-19 pandemic and calling the restrictions "severe, extensive and prolonged." He described the pandemic as "a Constitutional stress test."

2022: Only Military Veteran on the Court

Since Stephen Breyer's retirement in 2022, Alito has been the only military veteran on the Court. He is also a baseball fan and a longtime supporter of the Philadelphia Phillies. The Phillie Phanatic appeared at his Supreme Court welcome dinner.