The Buddha and the Bumblebee: The Saga of Stanley Reed and Felix Frankfurter

During the years since the first appointments of Justices to the Supreme Court in 1789, many interesting relationships have occurred between Justices. Some were amicable, but others involved animosity. No such long‐Term relationship is more fascinating than the eighteen years Stanley Reed and Felix Frankfurter spent as Brethren. It featured neither consistent amicability nor animosity, but it is intriguing because it ran the gamut from admiration and respect through pettiness and condescension to frustration and serious annoyance. Nevertheless, Reed and Frankfurter probably were closer for a longer period than virtually any other two Associate Justices in the history of the Court. Moreover, the hundreds of letters, notes, and memoranda they exchanged must dwarf the output of any other two Justices.