William Paterson Charles F. Hickox III Andrew C. Laviano The names of the men and woman who have served as Justices on the Supreme Court read like a “Who’s Who” of American History. Six were foreign bom.1 One of these, William Paterson, was Irish.2 He was bom on December 24, 1745, in County Antrim. His father, Richard, was a tin Aaron Burr, second Vice-President of the United States, ran a school in New Jersey that William Paterson attended before going to the College of New Jersey (later Princeton University.) plate worker; little is known ofhis mother, Mary. In 1747, the family sailed from Londonderry and landed in Newcastle, Delaware. Over the next few years, the familymoved to New York, then to Connecticut before settling permanently in Princeton, New Jersey. Once in Princeton the family opened a general store catering to the students and faculty of The College of New Jersey, now Princeton University. This doomed William to hours of menial tasks but gave him early exposure to the intellectual environment of a major university. He was accepted to The College ofNew Jersey in 1759 after having done preparatory work to prove his proficiency in Latin and Greek at a school run by Aaron Burr. His college curricula included both secular and religious studies. The trustees attemptedto ensure considerable intellectual freedom within the reli gious and social bounds of the eighteenth cen tury. One ofthe stated aims ofthe collegewas that care be taken “to cherish a spirit of liberty, and free enquiry; not only to permit, but even to encourage their right ofprivatejudgement.”3 As an undergraduate Paterson listened as President Samuel Davis instructed the graduates of the class of 1760: Whatever, I say, be your Place, permit me my dear Youth to inculcate upon you this important Instruction, IMBIBE AND CHERISH A PUBLICK SPIRIT. Serve your Generation. Live not for yourself, but the Publick. Be the Ser- 54 JOURNAL 1992 Samuel Davis was President of The College of New Jersey while William Paterson was a student there. vants of the Church; the Servants of yourCountry; the Servants ofall. Extend the Arms of your Benevolence to em brace your Friends, your Neighbours, your Country, your Nation, the whole Race ofMankind, even your Enemies.4 After his graduation in 1763, Paterson began a master’s degree program, and apprenticed him selfto Richard Stockton to study law. He earned his master’s degree in 1766. He was admitted to the bar three years later, and relocated to establish his practice in New Bromley, New Jersey. Al though impatient at times with the growth of his legal practice, he was soon appointed to the position of surrogate by Royal Governor William Franklin. In 1775, Paterson was selected to be a delegate to and the secretary of the First Provincial Con gress ofNew Jersey. He earned a reputation as a leadingarchitectofthe state’s independence. From 1776 to 1783 he served as the first Attorney General ofthe state, actively prosecuting English loyalists. In 1783, he retired as Attorney General to devote his full time to the practice of law. In 1777, he met Cornelia Bell, the daughter of a Somerset County land owner. Smitten by Cornelia, he described her as “the sweetest pat tern of female excellence.”5 They married in February 1779. Cornelia died in 1783, leaving him with two small children to raise. In 1784, he married his wife’s best friend, Euphemia White. Paterson represented New Jersey at the Con stitutional Convention of 1787 which was held in Philadelphia. Most histories mention his name with reference to the Paterson Plan orNew Jersey Plan as it is also called. “...In the dynamics of debate and compromise that gave birth to a new and durable formula for American government, Paterson proved himselfa consummate politician as well as a great lawyerand statesman.”6The new Republic had existed since its independence un der the Articles of Confederation, but this loose association proved too weak for the continued existence of a cohesive nation. The Constitu tional Convention was an attempt to restructure the government. Headed by James Madison, the Virginia delegation proposed a bicameral legis lature, calling for popular election of the first house...