H. Brockholst Livingston, 1806-1823

H. BROCKHOLST LIVINGSTON was born in New York, New York, on November 25, 1757. He was graduated from the College of New Jersey (now Princeton University) in 1774 and planned to study law. With the outbreak of the Revolutionary War, however, Livingston joined the Continental Army. Livingston participated in the siege of Ticonderoga, served as an aide to General Benedict Arnold in the Saratoga campaign, and witnessed General John Burgoyne’s surrender in 1777. In 1779, he served on a diplomatic mission to Spain as private secretary to John Jay, who later became the first Chief Justice of the United States. As the War drew to a close, Livingston resumed the study of law in Albany, New York. He was admitted to the bar in 1783 and settled in New York, New York, where he practiced law. From 1784 until his death he served as a Trustee and Treasurer of Columbia University. In 1786, Livingston was elected to the New York Assembly and served for three years. He was appointed to the New York Supreme Court in 1802 and served for five years. President Thomas Jefferson nominated Livingston to the Supreme Court of the United States on December 17, 1806, and the Senate confirmed the appointment the same day. He served on the Supreme Court for sixteen years. Livingston died on March 18, 1823, at the age of sixty-five.