Thanks to Harry Rathbun ’29 (BA ’16, MS ’20), who taught at Stanford Law for more than 30 years, Sandra Day O’Connor ’52 (BA ’50) shifted her studies from economics to law and began to think more deeply about how the world works.

“When I came here, I don’t know that I had a very clear philosophy of life,” she told a packed audience on April 22 in Memorial Church. “My years here helped shape that. Harry Rathbun helped shape it. And the succeeding years have continued to do that. Am I finished with that process? Probably not. I hope not.”

Rathbun was known for hosting students, including O’Connor, at his home for discussions on ethics, philosophy, and religion and for giving annual lectures on the meaning of life. The tradition of “Harry’s Last Lecture” drew students from across the campus and inspired the recent creation of the Harry and Emilia Rathbun Fund for Exploring What Leads to a Meaningful Life. The fund was established with a $4.5 million endowed gift to the Office for Religious Life from the Palo Alto Foundation for Global Community, which is run by the Rathbuns’ son, Richard.

O’Connor, who delivered the inaugural lecture in a series dubbed “Harry’s Last Lecture on a Meaningful Life,” did not discuss her 25 years on the Supreme Court. But she did talk about being in the public eye.

“Anyone who engages in public life has to get a very thick skin,” she said. “You’re going to have arrows and darts thrown at you. That’s okay. Develop a thick skin and go on. Nobody’s free from criticism and shouldn’t be. Just learn to deal with it. You can.”

She also told the audience that there is no need to sacrifice a family for a high-profile and committed career, saying she managed to balance her job and her family.

“I wanted to have a family, and I’m glad that I did,” she said. “Was it easy? No. Will it be easy for you? No. Is it worth it? Yes.”

O’Connor’s speech capped a three-day visit to Stanford as the Rathbun Visiting Fellow, during which she met with students and faculty to talk about topics, ranging from public service to ranching and the role of women in the workplace. —Adam Gorlick

A version of this article originally appeared in the April 23, 2008, issue of Stanford Report.