Stephen Johnson Field was born into a prominent family in Haddam, Connecticut, on November 4, 1816. He graduated at the top of his class from Williams College in 1837 and studied law in the office of his brother David Dudley Field. The California gold rush enticed Field to travel to California in 1849; instead of mining, however, he turned to law and politics. The following year, Field was elected as a Democrat to the California assembly, where he served one term and was pivotal in codifying civil and criminal procedures. Field soon became one of the most prominent attorneys in California. In 1857 Field was elected to the California Supreme Court and became chief justice there in 1859. Because he was both colorful and dogmatic, Field made numerous enemies as well as friends. In 1863 Congress increased the size of the U.S. Supreme Court with the addition of a tenth seat in an attempt to garner further support in California for the Civil War. Although he was a Democrat, Field was a strong supporter of the Union cause. President Abraham Lincoln’s nomination of Field to the U.S. Supreme Court was promptly confirmed by the Senate. Field continued his interest in politics, making unsuccessful bids for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1880 and 1884. Field would serve on the Supreme Court until December 1897, long enough to set a new record for service. He died in Washington, D.C., on April 9, 1899, less than eighteen months after leaving the court.