Fred C. Struckmeyer, Jr.

Fred C. Struckmeyer, Jr. (January 4, 1912 - June 22, 1992) was a Justice of the Supreme Court of Arizona from January 3, 1955 to January 19, 1982. He served as Chief Justice of the court on four occasions.

Struckmeyer, was the son of Fred Struckmeyer, Sr., who served one term on the Superior Court in Maricopa County from 1923-1925. Struckmeyer received a bachelors and then a law degree in 1936 from the University of Arizona. He went to work as a deputy Maricopa County attorney before serving in the Army during World War II where he was awarded the Silver Star, Bronze Star and a Purple Heart.

He became a Superior Court judge in 1950. Five years later he was elected to the Arizona Supreme Court where he served for 26 years. At 43, he was the youngest person ever elected or appointed to the Supreme Court. After his mandatory retirement at the age of 70 he was appointed to the Arizona Racing Commission.

On February 9, 1953, Judge Struckmeyer decided the case Phillips vs. Phoenix Union High Schools and Junior College District, a case over Arizona's only legally segregated high school. In the case, Struckmeyer ruled that the Arizona law permitting school boards to segregate pupils was unconstitutional, and the Phoenix Union district's segregation of African-American students was illegal. His decision was made a year before the U.S. Supreme Court decided Brown v. Board of Education.

In 1988, he rejoined the high court for Green v. Osborne, a 4-1 decision that canceled a recall election for Evan Mecham because Mecham already had been impeached and removed as governor."