Why was Thurgood Marshall famous? Thurgood Marshall was born July 2, 1908 in Baltimore, MD. He was born to his mother Norma Marshall and father William Marshall. During his life, he was a civil rights activist, attorney, circuit court judge, solicitor general, and supreme justice. He died at the age of 84 on January 24, 1993. He was married twice during his life, first to Vivien "Buster" Burey until her death in 1955, then to Cecilia Suyat until 'at his death. He had two sons from his second wife Thurgood Marshall. Jr. and John W. Marshall. Thurgood Marshall attended Frederick Douglass High School and graduated with an above-average degree in 1926. Three years later, he married his first wife Vivian Burey on September 4, 1929, at the age of 21 . He attended Lincoln University. College in 1930. He graduated in 1933 with honors. After college, he applied to law school at the University of Maryland. Even though he was overqualified academically, he was still rejected because of his race. He then applied to Howard Law School, a historically black school. After graduating from law school, Marshall attempted to start his own firm, but was unsuccessful because he had no experience and received no briefs. Thurgood then began working for the Baltimore branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People in 1934. In one of his first cases, Marshall defended Donald Murray. He was denied admission to the University of Maryland Law School. Marshall and Charles Houston won Murray v. Pearson in January 1935. Marshall's biggest case as a lawyer was Brown v. Topeka Board of Education. Thurgood was appointed legal counsel to the NAACP in 1939. In 1940, Thurgood prepared his first brief to the Supreme Court, Chambers. c. Florida, the NAACP was looking to o...... middle of paper ...... – Thurgood Marshall14. "None of us got to where we are solely by picking ourselves up. We got here because someone - a parent, a teacher, an Ivy League friend or a few nuns - bent down and helped us pick up our boots." Thurgood Marshall15. “Our entire constitutional heritage rebels against the idea of ​​giving government the power to control the minds of men. » – Thurgood Marshall16. “The measure of a country's greatness is its ability to maintain compassion in times of crisis. » – Thurgood MarshallResources/Bibliography1. Thurgood Marshall." 2014. The Biography Channel website. March 3, 2014, 05:26 http://www.biography.com/people/thurgood-marshall-9400241.2. Aldred, Lisa. Thurgood Marshall. New York: Chelsea House , 1990 .Print.3 "Quotes by Thurgood Marshall.". 2014 .