Arthur Goldberg - Resignation From The Supreme Court and UN Ambassador

Resignation From The Supreme Court and UN Ambassador

In 1965, Goldberg was persuaded by President Johnson to resign his seat on the court to replace the recently deceased Adlai Stevenson as the Ambassador to the United Nations. Johnson wanted to appoint his friend Abe Fortas to the court, in case any of his Great Society reforms were going to be deemed unconstitutional by the Court; he thought Fortas would notify him in advance. Goldberg had declined an earlier offer to leave his position to be Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare. He did take Johnson's offer of the UN ambassadorship when Johnson discussed it with him on Air Force One to Illinois for the burial of Stevenson, however.

Goldberg wrote in his memoirs that he resigned in order to have influence in keeping the peace in Vietnam and that after the crisis had passed he expected he would be reappointed to the Supreme Court by Johnson. "I had an exaggerated opinion of my capacities. I thought I could persuade Johnson that we were fighting the wrong war in the wrong place to get out."

David Stebenne, Goldberg's biographer, adds "Many observers, then and later, found this answer hard to accept." He suggests that "Johnson must have had some influence over Goldberg that induced him ." Time reported in 1962 that Johnson knew that for a party thrown in Johnson's honor that year, a Goldberg aide, Jerry Holleman, solicited contributions from wealthy supporters of Johnson, including Billy Sol Estes. Holleman accepted responsibility and there was no public awareness of Goldberg and Johnson's involvement.

Johnson said of the Goldberg decision in his later-released audio tapes:

Goldberg would be able to answer the Russians... very effectively... He's got a bulldog face on him, and I think this Jew thing would take The New York Times-- all this crowd that gives me hell all the time-- and disarm them. And still have a Johnson man. I've always thought that Goldberg was the ablest man in Kennedy's Cabinet, and he was the best man to us.... Goldberg sold bananas, you know.... He's kind of like I am... He's shined some shoes in his day and he's sold newspapers, and he's had to slug it out...

In 1984, while teaching a seminar at Boston University School of Law, Goldberg addressed the question of his resignation, stating that he was persuaded to leave the Court for the United Nations based on certain promises made by President Johnson. Goldberg stated that Johnson promised to give Goldberg full discretion in negotiating an end of the war in Vietnam. In addition, Johnson told Goldberg that if he successfully negotiated an end to the Vietnam War, Johnson would support Goldberg for the presidency and Goldberg would be the first Jewish President of the United States. Once Goldberg resigned, however, he failed to get the support from Johnson that he had been promised.