WASHINGTON _ Retired U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor says she has been diagnosed with dementia, probably Alzheimer's disease, and is stepping away from public activities.
The 88-year-old O'Connor, the first woman to serve on the Supreme Court, said in an open letter released by the court Tuesday that doctors diagnosed her "some time ago" with the beginning stages of dementia.
"As this condition has progressed, I am no longer able to participate in public life," she wrote. "Since many people have asked about my current status and activities, I want to be open about these changes, and while I am still able, share some personal thoughts."
O'Connor, appointed in 1981 by President Ronald Reagan, became the decisive vote on abortion, religion, race and other hot-button social issues during a history making tenure. She retired in 2006, in part to care for her husband, John, who had Alzheimer's disease. He died in 2009.
Chief Justice John Roberts called O'Connor "a towering figure in the history of the United States and indeed the world."
"Although she has announced that she is withdrawing from public life, no illness or condition can take away the inspiration she provides for those who will follow the many paths she has blazed," Roberts said in a statement.
O'Connor was among the best-known of the justices and frequently appeared on lists of the most admired Americans. During her first term on the court, she received as many as 500 letters a week, many from young girls who saw her as a role model.
In the years since her retirement, O'Connor has focused on promoting civic learning. Her iCivics program, which uses online materials and games to teach middle and high school students, reaches half the country's youth, she said.
"I can no longer help lead this cause, due to my physical condition," O'Connor said in her letter. "It is time for new leaders to make civic learning and civic engagement a reality for all."
