The USNS Earl Warren will be the newest ship named in the John Lewis class of oilers. (U.S. Navy photo illustration/Petty Officer 1st Class Armando Gonzales) PO1 Armando Gonzales

Navy ship christened for former Supreme Court Justice Earl Warren

Tori Richards January 23, 06:28 PMJanuary 23, 06:29 PM Video Embed

The U.S. Navy christened a ship named for former Supreme Court Chief Justice Earl Warren. He presided over cases pertaining to civil rights issues during the turbulent 1950s and ‘60s.

A ceremony was held in San Diego on Saturday. Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan broke the honorary bottle of champagne against the ship’s bow — a sign of good luck.

“If you ask, well, who is it that contributed so greatly to the civil rights struggle, and particularly to the struggle to ensure racial equality in our nation, Earl Warren has got to be among the top people on the list,” Kagan said.

Warren famously presided over Brown v. Board of Education, which decided segregation in public schools violated the 14th Amendment.

Warren, a Republican, was appointed by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1953 and served until 1969. Prior to that, he had been governor of California for three terms.

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The ship now bearing his name is a 746-foot replenishment oiler built by General Dynamics.

The Navy has a tradition of naming ships after presidents, cities, and states. However, about a decade ago, former Navy Secretary Ray Mabus began including civil rights leaders in the group. Ships now sail the seas bearing the names of Harvey Milk, Medgar Evers, Cesar Chavez, and John Lewis.

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“I think you have to represent all the values that we hold as Americans, that we hold as a country,” Mabus said. “Because these are American heroes too, just in a different arena.”

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