15 Years Ago In TIME

Like Harriet Miers, U.S. Supreme Court nominee DAVID SOUTER was seen as an enigma when he was introduced to the nation.

In this the age of shameless self-promotion, Supreme Court nominee David Souter comes onto the national stage as an oddity. No one knows quite what to make of a man who has a life, not a life-style, who lives modestly, works hard, spends inconspicuously, attends church, enjoys solitude, honors his mother, and helps his neighbors. While part of being a public official these days is vying for an appearance on Nightline, Souter is extremely publicity shy, pursuing a life of quiet introspection ... By choosing someone so hard to pigeonhole, indeed, someone from another era, [President George H.W.] Bush may have created the kind of philosophical gridlock he felt he needed to get his nominee swiftly approved. If Americans are lucky, they will also get the kind of Justice they need --someone who looks at the law of the land with reverence and the people it governs with respect. --TIME, Aug. 6, 1990

Read the entire article at time.com/years