PHOENIX — Sandra Day O’Connor’s impact is felt nationwide, but Arizona is where she called home.
In Downtown Phoenix, the Federal Court House shares her name. Inside on the second floor is a statue made by Susan Henningsen.
Even today, the artist remembers being selected to create the piece.
“I thought this can’t be real, and it was,” said Henningsen.
The committee that helped plan the piece asked Henningsen to enter a contest of sorts. Eventually, Justice O’Connor selected Henningsen out of the remaining finalists.
Over 20 years later, the Scottsdale artist describes the work as the “most special piece” she has ever created.
The whole process took over a year, but it really started with a phone call between Henningsen and Justice O’Connor.
“I said, ‘Well I think this is going to be a lasting sculpture, so I would really like to meet you in person,’” described Henningsen. “She said, ‘Well you’ll just have to come to Washington D.C., and we will tuck you in at our house.’”
Henningsen said that’s exactly what happened. The artist even said Justice O’Connor made her and another guest breakfast.
On that trip, Henningsen was able to capture the pictures she needed as a reference for the sculpture.
But she also learned first-hand the kind of person O’Connor was.
“She’s a really wonderful person, just so special,” said Henningsen.
The artist also leaned on the committee comprised of people who the artist said really cared for Justice O’Connor.
“She was so definite,” said Henningsen. “She had such an interesting life from a ranch in southern Arizona, to the most important woman in the world practically.”
One of her goals was to capture O’Connor’s down-to-earth nature in her piece of art.
In the sculpture, O’Connor’s hand is outstretched. “So, she’s opening herself to others, welcoming them,” Henningsen said.
Justice O’Connor is holding a large law book in her other hand.
The bottom of the sculpture by Justice O’Connor’s feet is a marker for her family’s ranch here in Arizona, accomplishments throughout O’Connor’s life, and words the Supreme Court Justice picked out herself.
“Be independent, be fair, venture to be wise.”
Those words and Justice O’Connor’s legacy have also inspired local attorneys like Jordan Rose.
“I think that her legacy was that it didn’t matter what gender you were you could do anything you wanted in the field of law,” said Rose.
Rose followed in the footsteps of her dad, who was an attorney, but also watched as O’Connor left her mark.
“Since I was a little girl dreaming of being a lawyer, I was always able to look up to this incredible example of a woman who had worked hard and had alot of integrity and came really from nowhere and came to pinnacle of the legal profession,” said Rose.
Now, Rose told ABC15 she has the largest women-owned law group in the state.
Both she and Henningsen hope all the buildings, schools, and statues mean O’Connor’s legacy will be remembered for years to come.
