AUTHOR DESCRIPTION : William O. Douglas set the record for longest continuous service on the Supreme Court. Douglas was born on October 16, 1898, in Maine, Minnesota, to Julia Fisk and Reverend William Douglas. The second of three children, he became his mother’s favorite, earning the nickname “Treasure.” In 1901, Douglas was stricken with polio that proved nearly fatal. Shortly after his father’s death in 1904, the Douglas family moved to Yakima, Washington, where Douglas spent most of his youth. Though the family struggled financially, Julia enrolled the children in Yakima High School, a highly competitive environment in which Douglas thrived. His peers described him as shy; however, Douglas was active in his high school debating team and rarely lost a debate. He once overheard his mother mention his fragile state, after which he began running every day in order to strengthen his legs. He also went on long hikes, which led to his lifelong love of being outdoors. Good grades were demanded by his mother and Douglas delivered, graduating valedictorian in 1916. He went to Whitman College in Walla Walla, Washington, on a full scholarship. During college, Douglas went to school in the mornings and often worked full days after class. He continued his good grades with ease, though few ever saw him study. Though his financial struggles continued, forcing him to live in a tent during one term of college, his situation did not detract from his involvement at Whitman. Douglas was a star of the debating team, student congress president, and president of Beta Theta Pi. He wrote for the campus literary magazine, occasionally delivered sermons at campus services, and tutored students for his economics professor.After graduating, Douglas took a job at his old high school to save money. During this time, he visited the courtrooms of Yakima to watch cases presented and decided that this was his calling. He arrived in New York City to attend Columbia Law School in 1922 with only six cents in his pocket. Douglas worked his way through law school by starting a tutoring service for high school seniors who wanted to attend an Ivy League School, eventually earning $25 an hour as his service grew in demand