MAELI POOR -- The Flat Hat

Chief Justice Rehnquist will speak at the dedication of the Marshall and Wythe statues.

Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court William Rehnquist will speak at the dedication ceremony of a statue of John Marshall and George Wythe this Saturday at the Marshall Wythe School of Law.

The dedication ceremony, which will be held at 10 a.m., marks the 200th anniversary of the appointment of Marshall as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. Rehnquist will deliver remarks at the dedication of the statue of Marshall and Wythe, the College's first law professor.

According to Dave Douglas, Director of the Institute of Bill of Rights Law, Rehnquist agreed to give remarks at the dedication ceremony because of his admiration for Marshall, who established the process of judicial review with the case "Marbury v. Madison."

"We chose Chief Justice Rehnquist to give remarks because he is the current chief justice of the United States Supreme Court," Douglas said. "Who could be more appropriate?"

Rehnquist will also meet with law students Friday and then attend a dinner in his honor with faculty, students and alumni. He will give the keynote address at the law school's yearlong celebration of the anniversary of Marshall's appointment as Chief Justice.

Karalyn Meaney, who plans to attend the event, considers Rehnquist's remarks at the dedication ceremony significant because of his connection to Marshall and the foundations of the Supreme Court.

"Despite the changes in ideology and the wide variety of issues that weren't in existence when the Supreme Court originated, it's good to see the current Supreme Court justices have an appreciation and respect for the leaders and principles on which the Court was founded," sophomore Karalyn Meany said.

President Richard Nixon nominated Rehnquist in 1971 to be an associate justice on the Supreme Court, filling the seat John Harlan vacated. He served as a justice on the bench until 1986 when President Ronald Reagan nominated him to replace retiring Chief Justice Warren Burger. He holds a bachelor's, master's and law degree from Stanford University as well as a master's degree from Harvard.

Known for his conservative ideology, Rehnquist adheres to a strict interpretation of the Constitution and has written several majority opinions that cut the power of the federal government in favor of that of the states.

According to Douglas, the College hopes that Rehnquist will be able to bring a unique perspective to the ceremony dedicated to former alumnus Marshall and his law professor Wythe.

"Chief Justice Rehnquist will honor us by his presence and lend dignity to a very proud moment in the history of our law school," Douglas said. "We also look forward to Chief Justice Rehnquist offering some insightful comments about John Marshall and George Wythe."