In 1935 Thurgood and his friend and mentor Charles Huston won their first civil rights case Murray v. Pearson. Today most Afro Americans don't realize how important a role Thurgood played in shaping the legal precedents for school segregation. Thurgood hated the ideal of our young and proud Afro Americans boys and girls having to travel outside their school districts just to attend colored schools, because their local elementary and high schools were not segregated. . Thurgood fought hard and vigorously to bring about a change in elementary and high school segregation. In 1954 Thurgood conquers a big milestone in winning his famous case Brown v. The Board of Education, of Topeka Kansas. The United States Supreme Court ruled that all elementary and high schools will be segregated. From 1940-1960s Thurgood's name became a main stayed within the Afro American Communities. Afro Americans from many cities would call upon Thurgood for his services. Thurgood would work for free, just to help and defend his people. Then in February 1955 Thurgood's wife Vivan became very ill from cancer, and she eventually died. Thurgood was so saddened that he remained single for two years. Thurgood then met and eventually married his second wife Cecilia Suyat. (Born as a Philippine). Cecilia was a secretary for The NAACP Office. Thurgood and Cecilia had two sons: Thomas Jr. and John. Thurgood's biggest milestone came in 1961 when President John F. Kennedy, appointed him to the United States Court of Appeals for the second circuit. Thurgood served his position with dignity, and used legal precedents in writing 112 opinions on that court, none of which were overturned on appeal. Additionally, the Supreme Court eventually adopted several of his dissenting opinions as majority opinions. In 1965 President Lyndon Johnson appointed Thurgood Marshall as a United States Solicitor General. Thurgood won 14 of 19 cases he argued for the government.
