On October 19, 1789, John Jay was sworn in as the first Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. He had already played major roles as a diplomat and co-author of the Federalist Papers. As chief justice, Jay helped establish procedures and traditions for the new Court. The Supreme Court’s power was still limited at that time, and Jay spent part of his tenure on circuit duty in the states. He later left the Court to become governor of New York. His appointment marked the beginning of the judicial branch’s long development as a co-equal part of the federal government.
