36. William Hastie, Judge
William Hastie was an immensely successful lawyer and politician in the first half of the 20th century. He became the first black governor of a U.S. state or territory to serve a full term. He later became the highest-ranking black judge in US history, surpassed only by Thurgood Marshall in 1976 with his nomination to the supreme court. While serving in the War Department during WWII, Hastie argued for integrated military units. He also fought for integrated schools as a judge.
