Thomas Todd

Thomas Todd was born on January 23, 1765, in King and Queen County, Virginia. He had a tough childhood, losing both of his parents at an early age. At the age of sixteen Todd fought in the Revolutionary War. After returning home he attended Liberty Hall Academy, now Washington & Lee University, and earned his Bachelor’s Degree in 1783. After graduation, Todd worked as a tutor at Liberty Hall in exchange for room and board and the opportunity to study law.

Todd’s early career was marked by significant involvement with the State of Kentucky. Beginning as the clerk at five constitutional conventions where Kentucky was seeking statehood, Todd went on to serve in a number of high-powered positions in the state. In the 1790s he worked as Secretary of the Kentucky State Legislature and member of the Kentucky House of Representatives.

When the state’s superior court, the Kentucky Court of Appeals, was created in 1789, he became its Chief Clerk. In 1801 he was nominated to Justice of the court, and seven years later in 1806 he became Chief Justice. In the meantime, Todd maintained a private practice in Danville, Kentucky.

In 1807, after Congress raised the number of seats on the Supreme Court to seven, President Jefferson nominated Todd to take one of the positions. Todd officially began his post as Associate Justice on the Supreme Court on March 3, 1807.

Although Todd served on the Supreme Court for eighteen years, he did not write a single constitutional opinion and did not make a significant contribution to the court. He only voted against Chief Justice John Marshall on one occasion, which came in the more minor case of Finley v. Lynn.

Thomas Todd served on the Supreme Court until his death on February 7, 1826 at the age of 61.