Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s remarkable journey was built on resilience, determination, and the unwavering support of her husband, Martin Ginsburg. The couple first met on a blind date while attending Cornell University in 1950, and Martin quickly admired Ruth not only for her beauty but also for her intelligence. Ruth later said he was the first man who truly appreciated that she had a brilliant mind. After marrying in 1954, they began building a life together while facing enormous challenges. Ruth entered law school at Harvard Law School while raising their daughter, Jane, and later cared for Martin after he was diagnosed with testicular cancer. She balanced motherhood, typed his class papers, helped him study, and still prepared for her own demanding coursework. Surviving on only about three hours of sleep each night, Ruth remained at the top of her class and became the first woman to serve on the Harvard Law Review. When Martin accepted a job in New York, Ruth transferred to Columbia Law School, where she graduated first in her class despite facing discrimination as both a woman and a Jewish lawyer seeking employment.

Although employers repeatedly overlooked her extraordinary qualifications, Martin never stopped believing in Ruth’s talent. He encouraged her legal career, introduced her to an important gender discrimination case that became one of her first major victories, and later worked tirelessly to support her nomination to the Supreme Court of the United States. In 1993, Ruth became only the second woman ever appointed to the nation’s highest court, where she spent decades championing equality and justice. Their marriage, which lasted 56 years, was built on mutual respect, shared ambition, and unconditional encouragement. Before Martin passed away in 2010 after battling metastatic cancer, he left Ruth a heartfelt letter expressing that she was the only person he had truly loved throughout his life. Despite her grief, Ruth honored his belief in duty by returning to work the very next day, just as he had once encouraged her to do after her own cancer surgery. She continued serving with determination until her death from pancreatic cancer in 2020, leaving behind an extraordinary legacy of perseverance, equality, and public service that continues to inspire generations around the world.