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Thurgood Marshall The first African-American Supreme Court Justice Although he lived in a time of great peril and reconstruction, Thugood Marshall made a stand. As a college aged boy Thurgood tried to enter The University of Maryland Law School, but was rejected because he was black, and although he was rejected, he did not give up hope. Another opportunity presented itself in the form of Howard University Law School. Marshall was impressed by and became …

…died of heart failure in Washington, D.C. in January 1993. He was buried in Arlington National Cemetery. He was survived by his second wife, Cecilia Marshall, and their two sons. Like many Supreme Court justices, he left all of his personal papers, including his notes from meetings with other justices, to the Library of Congress. Contrary to usual practice, Marshall declared that his papers should be open for immediate use by scholars, journalists, and others.