Why was Washington's most eligible bachelor, Judge David H. Souter, unmarried?

Judge David H Souter died at 85 in his beloved New Hampshire. Appointed by President George H.W. Bush in 1990, he was expected to be a conservative stalwart but often sided with the court’s liberal bloc. A lifelong bachelor, Souter preferred quiet solitude, shunned the spotlight, and returned to his native New Hampshire after retiring in 2009.

For years, David H. Souter—Supreme Court Justice, New England intellectual, and fiercely private man—held an unusual title in Washington: one of the capital’s most eligible bachelors. Ruggedly smart, quietly handsome, and a Harvard grad with a love for literature and long hikes, Souter was the kind of guy who could’ve had his pick. So… why didn’t he?

But maybe that’s exactly the point. Souter was a New Hampshire guy to his core—frugal, independent, and deeply introverted.

Friends and clerks over the years have described Souter as married to his work. He logged long hours at the court, obsessively editing opinions and often staying late to research every possible legal angle. His idea of a wild Friday night? Reading classic novels or hiking a remote trail in New Hampshire. Sounds peaceful—but probably not date night material.

There were rumors, of course. One woman in his younger years was briefly mentioned in profiles—someone he reportedly dated but didn’t propose to. The reasons why? Totally unknown. But even his friends admit that he seemed content on his own, not exactly pining for lost love or heartbreak.

And let's not forget: being a Supreme Court justice is no small gig. Once you’re nominated, your personal life gets sliced, diced, and broadcast on a national stage. Souter, who famously hated TV cameras in the courtroom, likely didn’t want cameras in his private life either. Remaining single might’ve just been easier, cleaner, and more in line with his deeply held value of personal privacy.

In fact, when he retired in 2009, he didn’t move to a luxury condo or a city think tank. He packed up and quietly returned to his modest farmhouse in Weare, New Hampshire—no entourage, no fanfare. That’s Souter in a nutshell.

So, why didn’t David Souter marry? Maybe the simplest answer is the truest: he just didn’t want to. He lived a life full of books, law, nature, and solitude—and by all accounts, he liked it that way.

In an age when personal lives are posted, liked, and shared by the second, Souter reminds us that a quiet life is still a life fully lived—even without a wedding ring.